The diversity of gelatinous zooplankton from the northern Chilean coast [Chipana Bay, lquique ; 21 ° 5) was studied from sediment traps moored during three years [2005-2008) at the Humboldt Current System [HCS), as part of the CENSOR Project. The sed iment traps were installed with the aim of studding the biochemical fluxes in an area influenced by ENSO [El Niiio Southern Oscillation I. These sediment trap samples have provided an opportunity for obtaining information about the gelatinous animals that have entered the trap by their own means and then became preserved in the poisoned collectors. Twenty-eight species were captured: 14 hydromedusae, 1 scyphomedusae, 8 siphonophorae, 1 appendicularia, 3 dol1olida and 1 salp1dae, 113 specimens in total. Eleven first species records are given for the HCS. Moreover, it has resulted in the discovery of new fauna, like the new benthopelagic hydromedusae Amphinema gordini n.sp. An unclassified hydromedusae from the Pandeidae family and the siphonophorae Clausophyes moserae were captured in all seasons, and in both deep traps [lquique, 460 and 883 m depth, respectivelyl, regardless of the phase of ENSO, suggesting that these species settle in the area. Furthermore, Antarctic species captured in the traps are in agreement with Antarctic-Magellan connection

World Conference on Marine Biodiversity, Our Oceans, Our Future, 26-30 September 2011, Aberdeen, Scotland

Peer reviewed