Published Papers Ashjian, C., Arnone, R., Davis, C., Jones, B., Kahru, M., Lee, C., and Mitchell, B.G. 2006. Biological structure and seasonality in the Japan/East Sea. Oceanography 19(3): 122-133. Ashjian, C.J., Davis, C.S., Gallager, S.M., and Alatalo, P. 2006. Erratum to: "Characterization of the zooplankton size composition and distribution in relation to hydrography of the Japan/East Sea" [Deep-Sea Research II 52(2005) 1363-1392]. Deep-Sea Research II 53: 442-449. Ashjian, C.J., Davis, C.S., Gallager, S.M., and Alatalo, P. 2005. Characterization of the zooplankton community, size composition, and distribution in relation to hydrography in the Japan/East Sea. Deep-Sea Research II 52: 1363-1392.  [ Abstract ] Conference Presentations Ashjian, C. Bridging the gap between biology and physics: insights from the Video Plankton Recorder. National Marine Fisheries, Northwest Fisheries Science Center Monster Seminar JAM Series, March 4, 2004, Seattle, WA. Invited. Alatalo, P., C.J. Ashjian, and C.S. Davis. Characterization of the zooplankton community and size composition and abundance in relation to hydrography and circulation in the Sea of Japan. Ocean Sciences Meeting, February 12, 2002, Honolulu, HI. Ashjian, C.J., C.S. Davis, S.M. Gallager, and P. Alatalo. Characterization of the zooplankton community and size composition in relation to hydrography and circulation in the Sea of Japan. 2000 American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, December 19, 2000, San Francisco, CA, EOS 81: F747. Ramp, S.R., F.L. Bahr, C.J. Ashjian, C. Davis, and L.D. Talley. The mesoscale structure of the Ulleung Basin during June 1999. American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, December 19, 2000, San Francisco, CA, EOS 81: F767. Abstracts Ashjian et al., 2005 The Japan/East Sea (JES) may be thought of as a model or microcosm of larger oceanic systems where biogeographic boundaries juxtapose at highly dynamic boundaries. The northern and southern portions of the JES are hydrographically and biologically distinct, with the southern portion being more tropical/oligotrophic and the northern portion being more boreal/eutrophic. Regional zooplankton taxonomic and size compositions and abundance and the high-resolution vertical distribution of plankton, fluorescence, and coincident hydrography were described using the Video Plankton Recorder (VPR), equipped with high- and low-magnification cameras and environmental sensors and mounted on a vertically profiling towed vehicle, in the upper 80 m of the JES during the summer of 1999. A survey was conducted over both the northern and southern regions, including the Subpolar Front (SPF), that spanned 10-12° of latitude and longitude and covered an along track distance of 7000 km. Plankton also were collected at 15 selected stations using a ring net for silhouette analysis of taxa and size. Distributional patterns in abundance (#/liter) of plankton taxa from the VPR were quantified at sea in real time, identifying plankton automatically using a neural network classifier. The most abundant taxa identified were copepods, Oithona spp., Calanus spp., copepod nauplii, protozoa, and diatoms, with copepods the dominant taxon. The northern JES, southern JES, and North Korean Cold Current were distinct based on temperature-salinity properties. The hydrography was complex and characterized by multiple mesoscale features including currents and the meandering of the SPF. Different taxonomic and size compositions were observed in the three hydrographic regions. The vertical distributions of copepods and fluorescence were associated with hydrographic structure, especially at fronts. Plankton abundances varied with regional hydrographic region and environmental conditions, although strong associations were not always observed. The extremely dynamic nature of the JES may effectively mix the plankton and obscure strong gradients or differences between regions.