Abstract
Changes in the structure of copepod assemblages and their functional groups because of variations in environmental and water quality parameters were examined in Guanabara Bay, which is a heavily eutrophic system. Monthly samples were collected over 2 years from 2012 to 2013. Most environmental and water quality parameters, and copepod assemblage diversity and evenness, varied between the annual dry and rainy periods. Opportunistic broadcast-spawning species were the most abundant in the system, most commonly those with mixed feeding strategies. Copepod abundance, taxonomic and functional assemblage indices, and primary functional groups of copepods were negatively affected by increased water quality parameters. These results showed that even in the Guanabara Bay area with great water circulation, pollution negatively affected copepod assemblages. This study also illustrated the importance of analyzing functional diversity and groups for the realistic diagnosis of functioning assemblages and ecosystems.
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