Spatial distribution patterns of copepod abundances were analyzed in relation to environmental variables in the Kuroshio waters adjacent to eastern Taiwan. Generalized additive models (GAMs) were applied to examine the relative influence of environmental factors on copepod abundance in this region. Data for the analysis consisted of a 4 year time series, during quarterly cruises of the TaiCOFI program from 2005 to 2008. To construct a GAM, relationships were analyzed for physical and biotic variables (season, chlorophyll-a concentration, temp at 5m, temp at 100m, temp differences between 5m and 100m, sal_5m). Stepwise GAM building revealed the relative importance of the variables in explaining the variance in copepod abundance. The variables ranked (1) season, (2) chl-a concentration, (3) temp_100m, (4) sal_5m, (5)temp_5m and (6) temp_diff in decreasing order. Time series of copepod abundance standardized for physical and biotic factors quantified in the GAM showed that in general, the spatial pattern of copepod abundance was characterized by noticeable high abundances were associated with higher chlorophyll-a concentration, lower temperature at 5 m and lower salinity at 5m in the northwestern (121.5~122°E, 23.5~24.5°N) and southwestern (121~121.5°E, 22~23°N) nearshore region of the study area.