Abstract
The aim of this study is to analyze the annual zooplankton succession at a coastal station in Patagonia (Argentina), with special emphasis on copepods and their potential preys, using solar radiation and temperature as environmental factors. The annual plankton cycle exhibited autumn/winter and spring/summer phases. During the autumn/winter phase, low temperature and radiation were correlated with higher diatom abundance and copepod diversity. This period was characterized by a dominant classical herbivorous food web in which the large copepod Calanoides carinatus dominated the community. On the contrary, during the spring/summer period, with high radiation and temperature levels, flagellates were the dominant food available for zooplankton and correlated with smaller species of copepods such as the harpacticoid Euterpina acutifrons. Also, intensive reproduction of the small copepods E. acutifrons and Paracalanus parvus occurred mainly in summer. On the other hand, high species diversity was found in winter when the ultraviolet radiation was low. The temporal pattern of the copepods observed in our study was explained by food availability and environmental factors (temperature and solar radiation), although other factors such as predator abundance may also be important in modulating the community. Our results show the importance of copepod abundance dynamics and highlights their key role in the pelagic food web in northern Patagonian coastal waters.
Highlights
Polar and temperate seas are characterized by pronounced seasonal fluctuations in irradiance, temperature, phytoplankton abundance, and species composition, all factors that directly or indirectly influence the growth rate and production of copepods (Kiørboe and Nielsen 1994, Madsen et al 2001)
Many copepod species are known to be susceptible to UVR exposure, which is reflected in suppressed reproduction and increased adult and juvenile mortality (Zagarese et al 1994), among other effects
chlorophyll a (Chla) in the
Summary
Los estudios sobre los ciclos estacionales de zooplancton (e.g., Loots et al 2009, Eloire et al 2010, Grigor et al 2014) proporcionan información crítica acerca de la dinámica del ecosistema, como cambios en la biomasa, la estructura de Ciencias Marinas, Vol 42, No 1, 2016 distribution, growth, and reproduction (e.g., Mackas and Beaugrand 2010, Overland et al 2010) They address key questions such as the effects of climate change on plankton communities (Drinkwater et al 2010, Perry et al 2010). Many copepod species are known to be susceptible to UVR exposure, which is reflected in suppressed reproduction and increased adult and juvenile mortality (Zagarese et al 1994), among other effects
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