Naslov
Population structure and abundance of zooplankton along the Krka river estuary in spring 2006

Autori
Vidjak, Olja ; Bojanić, Natalia ; Kušpilić, Grozdan ; Grbec, Branka ; Ninčević Gladan, Živana ; Matijević, Slavica ; Brautović, Igor

Izvornik
Acta Adriatica (0001-5113) 50 (2009), 1; 45-58

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Radovi u časopisima, članak, znanstveni

Ključne riječi
zooplankton ; tintinnids ; copepods ; Krka estuary

Sažetak
Zooplankton assemblage was investigated in April 2006 at 9 stations along and in front of the highly stratified salt-wedge Krka river estuary, using 53- and 125-μ m mesh Nansen nets. Tintinnids, copepods and their developmental stages and mollusc larvae dominated the zooplankton community, with 28 tintinnid and 41 copepod taxa recorded in the investigated area. Both tintinnid and copepod communities showed a general decrease in abundance and increase in species number from head to the mouth of estuary, with clear dominance of estuarine-neritic species. The most abundant tintinnids were Tintinnopsis campanula and Favella ehrenbergii. Small cyclopoid copepod Oithona nana dominated in the upper reach, presumably feeding opportunistically on abundant organic matter accumulated at the permanent halocline. The contribution of calanoids intensified towards marine stations, except in the eutrophicated Šibenik harbour area in the middle reach, where cyclopoid Oithona nana proliferated again. The assessment of the sampling performances of the 53- and 125-μ m nets and data on zooplankton population structure indicated that the 125-μ m mesh size plankton net in combination with the Niskin bottles would give the optimal insight into ecology of all zooplankton components in future investigations of this and similar higly stratified estuaries.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Biologija

POVEZANOST RADA