Dear Dr. Ostrovskii and co-authors,

I am sorry that the decision took a little longer due to unforeseen issues.
Thank you for the revised manuscript, which is shortly before publication now. The two referees are generally satisfied with your revisions, but have some minor final comments. My own final comments are listed below. Please take into account all comments and submit your final version for publication.

List of minor comments:

L10 [O2] means the concentration of oxygen. So here it should be either: … for the concentration of dissolved oxygen [O2] or: … for dissolved oxygen (O2).

L18 „diapausing CV C. euxinus“ This is not clear. CV C.? This may be sound knowledge for planktologists, but in the abstract please explain.

L25 Is polluted the right word here? It is not caused by anthropogenic activity, is it?
L30 Please define CTD here as it is used for the first time

L31-32 Vinogradov and Nalbandov, 1990;
L49 Erkan and Gücü ; please add “and” between the names in all cases in the manuscript where the citation concerns two authors.

L223 21-22 June 2010 (format) Please change to this format through the manuscript at many places

L232 58±14% Is this standard deviation or standard error? Please explain for all results.

Fig 11 (and other places) Please use LT for local time.

L425 species not spices
L579 Please correct: 3÷10 μM What is meant here?

Thanks and best wishes
Mario Hoppema

Dear Dr. Ostrovskii and co-authors,

Some final comments should be accounted for.