scholarly journals Zooplankton variation in relation to hydrology in an enclosed hypoxic bay (Amvrakikos Gulf, Greece)

2014 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 554 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. KEHAYIAS ◽  
M. APOSPORIS

This study investigated the temporal and spatial variation of the zooplankton community of a hypoxic coastal embayment (Amvrakikos Gulf, western Greece) in relation to hydrological characteristics during an annual cycle. The main hydrological feature was the prolonged water stratification, which determined hypoxic conditions in the deeper layers that became anoxic close to the bottom in September, while vertical mixing occurred for a very short period (October-November). The total zooplankton abundance fluctuated between 44.6 and 159.7 ind l-1. Fourteen groups were recorded, among which copepods dominated accounting on average for 86.4 %. Most of the groups presented higher abundance values in winter and spring when increased chlorophyll-α concentrations were found. Oxygen depletion affects the vertical distribution of most zooplankton groups and the vertical habitat partitioning between copepod orders and their ontogenetic stages. Several taxa were recorded even in the deep, anoxic layers, but only the polychaete larvae increased in abundance with depth. Calanoids, appendicularians and bivalve larvae presented eastward decrease of abundance in the deepest layers following the same pattern of oxygen decrease. Notwithstanding hypoxic conditions in its deepest layers, Amvrakikos Gulf was accounted for a mesotrophic ecosystem, with the nutrient concentration being lower than in the past. Several biotic elements indicate that the gulf is in a transitional phase towards a better quality state and these results reinforce the need for consistent monitoring of this ecosystem.

2011 ◽  
Vol 83 (2) ◽  
pp. 575-588 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charrid Resgalla Jr

This paper presents information from different sampling surveys carried out along the Santa Catarina coast in order to outline the biogeographical characteristics of the zooplankton in this region and identify species or groups of species with potential use as bioindicators. Based on a checklist of species of the zooplankton community in the state, it was observed that, in the warmer months of the year, the fauna is similar to that of the states of Paraná and São Paulo (e.g. Creseis virgula f. virgula, Penilia avirostris; Acartia lilljeborgi and Oithona oswaldocruzi), while in the colder months there are coastal representatives of the fauna of Rio Grande do Sul (e.g. Acartia tonsa). However, the zooplankton consists predominantly of warm water species for most of the year, which is typical of Tropical Shelf Waters. Various species of zooplankton can be used as hydrological indicators, enabling a distinction to be made between coastal waters which are influenced by continental inputs (e.g. Paracalanus quasimodo and Parvocalanus crassirostris), common in the north of the state, and processes of upwelling (e.g. Podon intermedius) and the influence of the Subtropical Shelf Front (e.g. Pleopis polyphemoides), coming from the south. The different environments investigated present a zooplankton abundance that depends on the influence of continental inputs and the possibility of their retaining and contribution for the coastal enrichment, which varies seasonally


2017 ◽  
Vol 65 (3) ◽  
pp. 495-508
Author(s):  
William Bauer ◽  
Paulo Cesar Abreu ◽  
Luis Henrique Poersch

Abstract Water quality, chlorophyll a, phytoplankton, proto and mezo-zooplankton abundance were spatiotemporally evaluated in an estuary receiving effluents from a Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei farm in Patos Lagoon estuary, Southern Brazil. Samples were taken before (BD) and; 1 day (1 PD) 5 days (5 PD), 10 days (10 PD), 20 days (20 PD) and 30 days (30 PD) after the effluents discharge. Some water quality parameters were affected by the effluents discharge; however, these changes were restricted to a distance of 20 m from the effluent discharge channel for a period of 5 days. The microbial community was dominated by chlorophyceae, followed by diatoms, cyanobacteria and ciliates. There was an increase in the abundance of different groups on the 1 PD sampling compared to BD. The zooplankton abundance was low in practically all sites, except for 30 PD sampling. The meso-zooplanktonic organisms were represented by copepods, mostly Acartia tonsa. Despite some effects on water quality and phytoplankton and protozooplankton abundance until 5 PD sampling, these alterations dissipated in a short period of time. We conclude that the environment quickly assimilated the effluents discharge, and the water quality parameters remained within the limits stipulated by standard guidelines.


2012 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Arief Rachman ◽  
Elly Asniariati

<p>Banggai Sea is an interesting ecosystem due to mixing influences from Banda Sea in the west and Maluccas Sea in the east. Therefore, a unique zooplankton community structure and specific distribution pattern should be found in this area. This research was carried on using Baruna Jaya VIII research vessel and samples were collected in 14 sampling stations. Vertical towing using NORPAC plankton net (300 μm) was conducted to collect zooplankton samples. Result showed that inner Mesamat Bay had the lowest abundance of zooplankton, probably due to low water quality resulted from anthropogenic activity. Meanwhile the strait between Liang and Labobo Island had the highest zooplankton abundance in Banggai Sea. Calanoids was the dominant zooplankton taxa in the ecosystem and contributing 55.7% of total density of zooplankton community. The highest importance value made this taxa to be very important factor that regulates the lower trophic level organisms. Results also showed that zooplankton was distributed nearly uniform in eastern but aggregated to several stations in western Banggai Sea. Zooplankton abundance was higher in the central of Banggai Sea, compared to western and eastern area. According to Bray-Curtis clustering analysis the strait between Liang and Labobo Island has unique zooplankton community structure. This might happened due to mixing of water from two highly productive seas that influenced the Banggai Sea ecosystem. From this research we conclude that this strait probably was the zooplankton hot spot area which might also indicate that this area also a hot spot of fishes in the Banggai Sea.</p><p>Keywords: spatial distribution, zooplankton, community structure, hot spot, Banggai</p>


2013 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 32 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. CHALKIA ◽  
G. KEHAYIAS

A one year investigation of the zooplankton community composition and dynamics in Lake Οzeros (western Greece) revealed 25 invertebrate species (16 rotifers, three copepods, five cladocerans and one mollusc larva). The mean zooplankton abundance fluctuated between 59.4 to 818 ind l-1, having maximum values in spring. The species composition and seasonal variation do not differentiate Lake Ozeros from the nearby lakes. The presence of the dominant calanoid copepod Eudiaptomus drieschi and some of the rotifer species recorded are characteristics of either oligo- or eutrophic lakes. According to the trophic state index (TSI) Lake Ozeros is a meso-eutrophic ecosystem, in which the eutrophic character was possibly the result of the high charge with phosphorus (being raised by 28.9 % in comparison to previous decades), which came into the lake via the surrounding agricultural cultivations and mainly the pig-raising activities. In contrast, the concentrations of ΝΟ3, ΝΟ2 and NH4 have considerably decreased possibly due to the termination of the tobacco cultivations around the lake during the last years. The novel information on the abiotic and especially the biotic elements of Lake Ozeros provided by the present study can contribute to the effective management of this aquatic ecosystem in the future.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-13
Author(s):  
Sing Lui Lo ◽  
Tzuen Kiat Yap ◽  
Cheng Ann Chen ◽  
Teruaki Yoshida

A comparison of zooplankton abundance and community in the seagrass and non-seagrass areas of Limau-limauan and Bak- Bak waters within the newly established Tun Mustapha Marine Park was made during 15-17 May 2017. Samples were collected via horizontal tow of a 140 μm plankton net. Environmental variables (temperature, salinity, DO, pH, turbidity) showed no significant differences among the study sites. However, zooplankton showed increasing abundance from non-seagrass, seagrass edge, to seagrass areas at Limau-limauan, while abundance values were comparable among the stations at Bak-bak. Overall zooplankton abundance was significantly higher at the seagrass areas relative to the non-seagrass station at Limau-limauan (p < 0.005), while no statistical difference was found at Bak-Bak (p < 0.21). Mean canopy height was 3-fold higher (p < 0.001) at Limau-limauan than Bak-Bak, suggesting the importance of seagrass bed structural complexity in habitat preference for zooplankton. Cluster analysis revealed the zooplankton community from the seagrass area at Limau-limauan was different from that at seagrass edge and non-seagrass areas, which may be attributed to the influence of seagrass meadows in forming characteristic zooplankton compositions. Marked differences in zooplankton composition and abundance even in close vicinity of sites suggest the importance of local small-scale variations in seagrass habitats in shaping the zooplankton community.


Author(s):  
Seòna R Wells ◽  
Eileen Bresnan ◽  
Kathryn Cook ◽  
Dafne Eerkes-Medrano ◽  
Margarita Machairopoulou ◽  
...  

Abstract Major changes in North Atlantic zooplankton communities in recent decades have been linked to climate change but the roles of environmental drivers are often complex. High temporal resolution data is required to disentangle the natural seasonal drivers from additional sources of variability in highly heterogeneous marine systems. Here, physical and plankton abundance data spanning 2003–2017 from a weekly long-term monitoring site on the west coast of Scotland were used to investigate the cause of an increasing decline to approximately -80± 5% in annual average total zooplankton abundance from 2011 to 2017. Generalized additive mixed models (GAMMs), with an autoregressive correlation structure, were used to examine seasonal and inter-annual trends in zooplankton abundance and their relationship with environmental variables. Substantial declines were detected across all dominant taxa, with ∼ 30–70% of the declines in abundance explained by a concurrent negative trend in salinity, alongside the seasonal cycle, with the additional significance of food availability found for some taxa. Temperature was found to drive seasonal variation but not the long-term trends in the zooplankton community. The reduction in salinity had the largest effect on several important taxa. Salinity changes could partly be explained by locally higher freshwater run-off driven by precipitation as well as potential links to changes in offshore water masses. The results highlight that changes in salinity, caused by either freshwater input (expected from climate predictions) or fresher offshore water masses, may adversely impact coastal zooplankton communities and the predators that depend on them.


<i>Abstract</i>.—Numerous studies have examined the dynamics of zooplankton in the Gulf of Maine. Here the authors reanalyze relationships found in these prior studies, using updated data, with the goal of evaluating previously identified zooplankton– environment linkages. These reanalyses support the finding that major changes occurred in the zooplankton community during the late 1980s and again in the late 1990s. Evidence for a broader change in the ecosystem during these periods and mechanisms responsible for changes in the zooplankton are discussed. In general, the results of previous studies are upheld, but it is shown that the relationship between the environmental indicators and zooplankton change through time. This result implies that all data collected in the Gulf of Maine must be considered within a historical context and that the observed environmental–zooplankton linkages are still not well understood. It is possible that changes in the seasonal cycle or shifts in the pressures systems responsible for the North Atlantic oscillation result in nonstationary environmental–zooplankton relations. These results indicate that a mechanistic understanding is required to explain the documented environment–zooplankton linkages rather than correlative explanations. Since the causes of the late-1980s and late-1990s regime shifts are still unclear, future ecosystem-based management in the Gulf of Maine must be supported by continued observation and analysis to identify ecosystem changes soon after they occur. Scenario-driven modeling also is needed to provide guidance as to how the ecosystem will respond to future changes in zooplankton abundance and community structure.


Diversity ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie E. Keister ◽  
Amanda K. Winans ◽  
BethElLee Herrmann

Several hypotheses of how zooplankton communities respond to coastal hypoxia have been put forward in the literature over the past few decades. We explored three of those that are focused on how zooplankton composition or biomass is affected by seasonal hypoxia using data collected over two summers in Hood Canal, a seasonally-hypoxic sub-basin of Puget Sound, Washington. We conducted hydrographic profiles and zooplankton net tows at four stations, from a region in the south that annually experiences moderate hypoxia to a region in the north where oxygen remains above hypoxic levels. The specific hypotheses tested were that low oxygen leads to: (1) increased dominance of gelatinous relative to crustacean zooplankton, (2) increased dominance of cyclopoid copepods relative to calanoid copepods, and (3) overall decreased zooplankton abundance and biomass at hypoxic sites compared to where oxygen levels are high. Additionally, we examined whether the temporal stability of community structure was decreased by hypoxia. We found evidence of a shift toward more gelatinous zooplankton and lower total zooplankton abundance and biomass at hypoxic sites, but no clear increase in the dominance of cyclopoid relative to calanoid copepods. We also found the lowest variance in community structure at the most hypoxic site, in contrast to our prediction. Hypoxia can fundamentally alter marine ecosystems, but the impacts differ among systems.


2003 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 187-197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin A Clark ◽  
Chris L.J Frid ◽  
Kirsty R Nicholas

Abstract Long-term monitoring of the zooplankton community at a station 5.5 miles from the English coast in the central-west North Sea has been performed since 1968. Analyses of these data have revealed an inverse relationship between annual total zooplankton abundance and the position of the Gulf Stream North Wall (GSNW). This long-term relationship is opposite to the long-term positive association observed between the GSNW and total zooplankton abundances throughout most of the oceanic NE Atlantic region and the northern and central North Sea using Continuous Plankton Recorder data. This study investigates the mechanism behind the inverse relationship with the GSNW, focussing on the importance of zooplankton predators in influencing long-term changes in the zooplankton community of the central-west North Sea. The results suggest that the dominant zooplankton predator Sagitta elegans plays a key role in mediating spring copepod population growth rates and thus their maximum and overall productivity during any one particular year. In turn, the abundance of Sagitta during the spring appears to be related to climatic factors. The implications of this on the zooplankton community are discussed.


2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. 2629-2649 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Curci ◽  
L. Ferrero ◽  
P. Tuccella ◽  
F. Barnaba ◽  
F. Angelini ◽  
...  

Abstract. Chemical and dynamical processes lead to the formation of aerosol layers in the upper planetary boundary layer (PBL) and above it. Through vertical mixing and entrainment into the PBL these layers may contribute to the ground-level particulate matter (PM); however, to date a quantitative assessment of such a contribution has not been carried out. This study investigates this aspect by combining chemical and physical aerosol measurements with WRF/Chem (Weather Research and Forecasting with Chemistry) model simulations. The observations were collected in the Milan urban area (northern Italy) during the summer of 2007. The period coincided with the passage of a meteorological perturbation that cleansed the lower atmosphere, followed by a high-pressure period favouring pollutant accumulation. Lidar observations revealed the formation of elevated aerosol layers and evidence of their entrainment into the PBL. We analysed the budget of ground-level PM2.5 (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 μm) with the help of the online meteorology–chemistry WRF/Chem model, focusing in particular on the contribution of upper-level processes. Our findings show that an important player in determining the upper-PBL aerosol layer is particulate nitrate, which may reach higher values in the upper PBL (up to 30% of the aerosol mass) than in the lower PBL. The nitrate formation process is predicted to be largely driven by the relative-humidity vertical profile, which may trigger efficient aqueous nitrate formation when exceeding the ammonium nitrate deliquescence point. Secondary PM2.5 produced in the upper half of the PBL may contribute up to 7–8 μg m−3 (or 25%) to ground-level concentrations on an hourly basis. The residual aerosol layer above the PBL is also found to potentially play a large role, which may occasionally contribute up to 10–12 μg m−3 (or 40%) to hourly ground-level PM2.5 concentrations during the morning hours. Although the results presented here refer to one relatively short period in one location, this study highlights the importance of considering the interplay between chemical and dynamical processes occurring within and above the PBL when interpreting ground-level aerosol observations.


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