engleski

Dynamics of mesozooplankton along the eastern coast of the South Adriatic Sea

Temporal and spatial variability of the mesozooplankton community was studied along the eastern coast of the south Adriatic Sea on a monthly basis from October 2012 to September 2013. Samples were collected at three stations using a 200 μm mesh Nansen net by vertical hauls at two depth layers. A total of 141 holoplanktonic taxa were identified, of which copepods were the dominant group. Total abundances showed high temporal variation (from 181 ind.m -3 in October to 1923 ind.m -3 in May). The mesozooplank - ton community differed significantly between the investigated layers and seasons. Deeper layers as well as the winter period were characterized by a subsurface and mesopelagic fauna, while over the warmer months the dominance of typically coastal Adriatic species was recorded. Comparing our results with stud- ies carried out in the middle of the last century, it can be concluded that the eastern coast of the southern Adriatic hosts a stable mesozooplankton community, less affected by global changes.

copepods ; seasonal variations ; zooplankton ; Mediterranean Sea

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