In Situ Ichthyoplankton Imaging System (ISIIS) Pelagia noctiluca abundance, distribution, and associated zooplankton during the summer in 2011 and 2016

In Situ Ichthyoplankton Imaging System (ISIIS) images were collected during two different summers (2011 and 2016) to determine the distribution of large scyphomedusae on the northern Gulf of Mexico shelf and their diel variability. Two different towing methods were used. In 2011 we towed the ISIIS at 3 fixed depths (10, 25, and 35 m) to measure the horizontal patchiness of jellies and associated zooplankton, and we also performed tow-yos in the same area. In 2016, we deployed the ISIIS in tow-yo fashion during the day and night in shallower waters (~25 m deep). We also examined the association of larval/juvenile fishes with these large scyphomedusae, examining the oceanographic variables related to these associations. Sizes and angles of orientation for each medusa were also measured.