Romanian Black Sea Mesozooplankton’s Seasonal Dynamics and Distribution during 2013-2020

Abstract

The analysis of the mesozooplankton community from the Romanian Black Sea waters revealed variations both from quantitative and qualitative point of view. A decrease in the number of identified taa according to the season was observed, with a maimum of 25 taa in the warm season and a minimum of 15 taa in the cold season. The nonfodder component represented by Noctiluca scintillans recorded the highest density and biomass values in the warm season, in the cold season being less represented, fact highlighted by Simper analysis. The mesozooplanktonic fodder component showed variations of density and biomass, copepods and the meroplanktonic component representing the bulk of the community in the warm season. In the warm season, the group of Cladocera’s recorded high density and biomass values, unlike in the cold season where they were very poorly represented. Other groups were better represented also in the warm season, showing a decrease in terms of abundance and biomass in the cold season.