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Noctiluca scintillans, a heterotrophic dinoflagellate responsible for most of the red tides in Hong Kong waters was investigated to determine the influence of biotic and abiotic factors in determining its population dynamics. N. scintillans first occurred in January when temperature was ~17°C, and reached a maximum of 1980cellsL-1 one month later. N. scintillans interacted with trophic compartments from picoplankton to mesozooplankton, but its population development was largely related to the availability of phytoplankton, especially diatoms. Growth rates in microcosms (with mainly biological factors) ranged from -0.38 to 1.11d-1 and were similar to the field in situ growth rates (physical and biological factors). Thus, optimum hydrographical conditions (temperature and water stability), and a rich food supply were necessary for N. scintillans to bloom. Its spatial distribution pattern was a result of biological and physical coupling, but mainly controlled by physical accumulation processes such as winds, tides and currents.

Mesozooplankton play an important role in transporting energy from microphytoplankton and microzooplankton to higher trophic levels. However there were few studies on the diel feeding patterns and prey selectivity of mesozooplankton. We conducted feeding experiments of mesozooplankton in the East China Sea to determine their respective diel feeding patterns on diatoms, ciliates and dinoflagellates, and to assess the contribution of these prey items to mesozooplankton diet. The results showed higher mesozooplankton grazing rates on ciliates and dinoflagellates than on diatoms at the day time, and the opposite pattern at the night time. A significant prey selection was observed, in which mesozooplankton positively selected ciliates and dinoflagellates during day and diatoms at night. The different grazing reactions of mesozooplankton toward each prey item might be related to the mobility of the prey. In all, microzooplankton (ciliates and dinoflagellates) provided the majority of the mesozooplankton carbon ingestion, even at a station dominated by small pennate diatoms. In particular, dinoflagellates are an important prey of mesozooplankton in the East China Sea and their contribution to the diet of mesozooplankton is unproportionate to their abundance.