Does predation control the diapausing stock of Calanus finmarchicus in the Gulf of Maine?

•Calanus finmarchicus is a dominate member of the plankton in the Gulf of Maine.•Diapausing population size in the basins of the Gulf of Maine have strong variability.•Size structure of diapausing population could be related to top-down control.•There was a marked decline in abundance in fall of 1998, relative to 1997 and 1999.•Invertebrate predation could account for the reduced 1998C. finmarchicusabundance.