Vertical migration ofGonyaulax catenata andMesodinium rubrum

Diel migration patterns ofGonyaulax catenata andMesodinium rubrum in the central Baltic during spring 1986 are presented. The depth at which maximum cell concentration of these species occurred was dependent during daytime to a great degree on light intensity; it is hypothesized that the organisms migrated upwards toward higher light intensities until a certain threshold irradiance was reached, after which migration was directed downwards to avoid light intensities higher than the threshold. This threshold level probably depended on nutrient conditions and on the daily average of total irradiance of the foregoing days (light history). Furthermore, it is hypothesized that migration is an important mechanism for adapting to daily irradiance fluctuations. The dependence of migration on irradiance was more obvious forG. catenata than forM. rubrum.