Chlorophyll shading reduces zooplankton diel migration depth in a high-resolution physical–biogeochemical model

Abstract. Zooplankton diel vertical migration (DVM) is critical to ocean ecosystem dynamics and biogeochemical cycles, by supplying food and injecting carbon into the mesopelagic ocean (200–800 m). The deeper the zooplankton migrate, the longer the carbon is sequestered away from the atmosphere and the deeper the ecosystems they feed. Sparse observations show variations in migration depths over a wide range of temporal and spatial scales. A major challenge, however, is to understand the biological and physical mechanisms controlling this variability, which is critical for assessing impacts on ecosystem and carbon dynamics. Here, we introduce a migrating zooplankton model for medium and large zooplankton that explicitly resolves diel migration trajectories and biogeochemical fluxes. This model is integrated into the MOM6-COBALTv2 ocean physical–biogeochemical model and is applied in an idealized high-resolution (9.4 km) configuration of the North Atlantic. The model skillfully reproduces observed North Atlantic migrating zooplankton biomass and DVM patterns. Evaluation of the mechanisms controlling zooplankton migration depth reveals that chlorophyll shading decreases zooplankton migration depths by 60 m in the subpolar gyre compared with the subtropical gyre, with pronounced seasonal variations linked to the spring bloom. Fine-scale spatial effects (<100 km) linked to eddy and frontal dynamics can either offset or reinforce the large-scale effect by up to 100 m. This could imply that, for phytoplankton-rich regions and filaments, which represent a major source of exportable carbon for migrating zooplankton, a high chlorophyll content contributes to reducing zooplankton migration depth and carbon sequestration time.