Zooplankton Stocks Research Articles

Collapse of zooplankton stocks during Liriope tetraphylla (Hydromedusa) blooms and dense mucilaginous aggregations in a thermohaline stratified basin

AbstractA growing number of studies report an increase in jellyfish populations worldwide that may have consequences for marine planktonic food web dynamics. The principal objective of this study was to understand the changes in a zooplankton community during blooms of Liriope tetraphylla and subsequent mucilage events in the Sea of Marmara, a small highly stratified transitional basin between the Black and Aegean Seas. Liriope blooms observed in 2006 and 2007 reached a maximum abundance of 2978 ind.·m−3, following the species' first observation in 2005. Jellyfish species are known to play a key guild role by restructuring plankton communities and in the Sea of Marmara Liriope caused a temporal regime shift from a crustacean‐ to a jellyfish‐controlled system. A rapid decline in abundance of most important zooplankton species followed the Liriope increase, together with a drastic shift in community structure. The dominant summer–autumn species Penilia avirostris (Cladocera) vanished in the autumn of 2006 and was diminished ~30‐fold in 2007 when compared with years without Liriope. The decline in zooplankton and the devastating effects of mucilage on pelagic ecosystem and socio‐economics through restricting commercial fisheries implied sensitivity of the already perturbed Marmara ecosystem to changes in predator densities and environmental stability.

Effects of Elevated Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Concentrations on Early Developmental Stages of the Marine Copepod Calanus finmarchicus Gunnerus (Copepoda: Calanoidae)

Ocean acidification poses an ongoing threat to marine organisms, and early life stages are believed to be particularly sensitive. The boreal calanoid copepod Calanus finmarchicus seasonally dominates the standing stock of zooplankton in the northern North Sea and North Atlantic, and due to its size and abundance is considered an ecological key species linking energy from primary producers to higher trophic levels. To examine whether the early stages of C. finmarchicus are particularly vulnerable to elevated levels of CO2, eggs and nauplii were subjected to different levels of CO2-acidified seawater for 1 wk. The first experiment, with eggs as the starting point, revealed no marked effect on hatching success, but a significant reduction in nauplii survival during incubation at 8800 ppm CO2. In addition, a significant decrease in ontogenetic development rate during incubation at 8800 ppm CO2 was observed in this experiment. In the second experiment, where third-stage nauplii represented the starting point, no significant effects on ontogenetic development and survival following exposure to pCO2 ≥ 7700 ppm were observed. Data suggest that the two first nauplii stages, which are fed endogenously, may be more vulnerable and therefore likely to represent the “bottleneck” for this species in a more acidic ocean. However, the absence of significant effects in the most sensitive stages during exposure to 2800 ppm CO2, a level that is well above worst-case scenario predictions for year 2300 (approximately 2000 ppm CO2), suggests that this species may be generally robust to direct effects of ocean acidification.

Food supply for nekton in the epipelagic layer of Pacific waters at Kuril Islands in the summer seasons of 2000s

Data of 8 surveys conducted by Pacific Fish. Res. Center (TINRO) in the Pacific waters at Kuril Islands in 2004-2012 are summarized to consider forage base and food relationships of nekton and plankton and to estimate consumption of forage resourced by nekton. The total stock of zooplankton and micronekton in the epipelagic layer changed from 62 to 158 million tons over the shelf and slope of the surveyed area and from 41 to 75 million tons in its deep-water part. Mezopelagic fishes, squids, pacific salmons, and subtropical fishes were the main consumers of these forage resources in summer. The portion of zooplankton stock consumed annually by nekton was relatively low: 4.2-9.3 % for shelf and slope areas (data for 2004, 2007, and 2011) and 4.5-15.6 % for the deep-waters (data for 2004, 2007, 2009, and 2011), without significant year-to-year changes in the diet composition and feeding intensity of nekton. There is concluded that zooplankton and micronekton of the studied area serve successively the food needs of its consumers and carrying capacity of the epipelagic layer in the Pacific waters at Kuril Islands is quite substantial.

Recovery dynamics of zooplankton following mouth-breaching in the temporarily open/closed Mdloti Estuary, South Africa

Mouth-breaching events have major impacts on biological processes in temporarily open/closed estuaries. The aim of this investigation was to monitor zooplankton recovery dynamics following artificial breaching of the Mdloti Estuary in February 2004. Spatial and temporal patterns in zooplankton distribution in the lower, middle and upper reaches of the estuary before, during and after breaching were compared over three months from 27 January to 26 April 2004. Thirty-five taxa were identified, with the dominant copepod Pseudodiaptomus hessei accounting for 42% and 58% of the total abundance and biomass, respectively. Breaching resulted in a 98% loss of zooplankton biomass. While a temporary recovery was recorded during open-mouth conditions, it was not sustained due to continual sediment scouring and flushing. Pre-breaching zooplankton abundance and biomass levels were only attained nine days after mouth closure, with peaks being recorded after 19, 28 and 35 days in the lower, upper and middle reaches, respectively. Recovery was, therefore, faster in the lower reaches. Mouth state was primarily responsible for regulating zooplankton stock. However, the zooplankton in the various reaches did not recover in synchrony after mouth closure, because abiotic factors and food availability were different in the three estuarine reaches.

Summer mesozooplankton community of Moller Bay (Novaya Zemlya Archipelago, Barents Sea)

Novaya Zemlya Archipelago is the eastern boundary of the Barents Sea. The plankton of this region have been less intensively studied than those of other Arctic areas. This study of the mesozooplankton assemblage of Moller Bay was conducted in August 2010. The total mesozooplankton abundance and biomass ranged from 962 to 2980 individuals m−3 (mean±SD: 2263±921 indiv. m−3) and from 12.3 to 456.6mg dry mass m−3 (mean±SD: 192±170DMm−3) respectively. Copepods and appendicularians were the most numerous groups with Oithona similis, Pseudocalanus spp., Acartia spp., Calanus glacialis and Oikopleura vanhoeffenni being the most abundant and frequent. Mesozooplankton abundance tended to decrease with depth, whereas an inverse pattern was observed for the total biomass. Total mesozooplankton biomass was negatively correlated with water temperature and positively correlated with salinity and chlorophyll a concentration. Comparison with previous data showed significant interannual variations in the total zooplankton stock in this region that may be due to differences in sampling seasons, climatic conditions and the distribution of potential food sources (phytoplankton and seabird colonies).

The results of zooplankton studies in the Bering Sea under the NPAFC Program (BASIS expedition). Part 1. Eastern areas

Data on zooplankton in the eastern Bering Sea are presented. Samples were collected and processed by the planktonologists of the Pacific Fisheries Research Center (TINRO Center) aboard American vessels in the summer and fall from 2003 through 2011. Based on the analysis of the averaged values of bottom temperature, surface temperature, ice cover index, and also on maps of temperature distribution on the surface and near the bottom, the years 2003–2006 are referred to as “warm” and 2007–2011 as “cold.” A comparison of these two periods showed that with the advent of the “cold” period, the overall stock of zooplankton in the eastern part of the sea grew, particularly in the shelf zone, where it increased more than three times exclusively at the expense of the large fraction. Chaetognaths and copepods constituted the major proportion of this increase; stocks of euphausiids, mysids, hyperiids, and pteropods also grew, while a loss was observed in decapods (larval crabs and shrimps) and coelenterates. In the southern part of the shelf zone, a vast area with a higher biomass of the large fraction occurred, which was mainly due to copepods and chaetognaths. At the same time, areas with denser concentrations were formed by euphausiids and amphipods. The horizontal distribution of small and medium-sized zooplankton almost did not change; meanwhile, the main species of the small fraction, viz., Pseudocalanus newmani and Oithona similis, exchanged their significance and the neritic species Centropages abdominalis, Eurytemora herdmani, and Acartia longiremis, as well as cladocerans and meroplankton (larval Cirripedia, Bivalvia, and Polychaeta) almost completely vanished from the plankton by 2011. In most of cases, the mean biomass of the profiling species of the large fraction (Calanus marshallae, Neocalanus flemingeri, N. cristatus, Eucalanus bungii, Thysanoessa raschii, Themisto libellula, Limacina helicina, and Sagitta elegans) grew during the cold period. In the large fraction, S. elegans constituted half of the biomass (52% in the warm period and 49% in the cold one); the following two species were the copepods E. bungii and C. marshallae (both amounted to 26% and 39%, respectively), while Th. raschii, which is usually predominant among euphausiids, was only the last in the top five species. According to the example of the eastern areas of the sea, it becomes evident that the hyperiid Themisto libellula is brought into the studied area with cold waters from the north and disappears when their inflow stops. This species responds later to cooling and earlier to warming as compared to other species or groups. It appears that the end of the “cold” period can be expected in 2012.

Occurrence, inter-annual variability and zooplankton-predation impact of the invasive ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi and the native jellyfish Aurelia aurita in Limfjorden (Denmark) in 2010 and 2011

In 2007, the invasive ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi was observed for the first time in Limfjorden (Denmark) where it exhibited mass occurrence in late summer while the indigenous and usually dominating common jellyfish, Aurelia aurita, was nearly absent. Both species were further studied in 2008 and 2009 and it was found that the additional predation pressure by M. leidyi caused the zooplankton stocks to be severely depressed. Here, we report on the population dynamics and predation impact of M. leidyi and A. aurita in Limfjorden in 2010 and 2011. In 2010, M. leidyi was observed in Limfjorden for the first time in August with the highest density and largest size in the central parts (Skive Fjord). The estimated half-life of zooplankton (copepods) was only important in Skive Fjord in mid August 2010 when the joint-predation impact of A. aurita and M. leidyi was 2.3 d. In 2011, no M. leidyi were observed on the first cruise (3 August), while during the second cruise (17 November) it was observed in large numbers. The western most location (Veno Bugt) was dominated by large sized (≤ 60 mm) M. leidyi, while the average size decreased towards the central parts of the fjord-system. The proportion of cydippid larvae increased from west to the central parts thus suggesting rapid reproduction and population-size expansion. The bio-volumes of ctenophores were highest in the central part with 85 ml m-3 in Logstor Bredning, which may be compared to the greatest mean bio-volume of about 184 ml m-3 observed in the Black Sea in 1989 when the zooplankton and fish stocks collapsed. Analysis of available hydrographic data and model calculations indicates that re-invasion of M. leidyi from the North Sea seeded the autumn population in Limfjorden in mid-September.

Development of a halotolerant community in the St. Lucia Estuary (South Africa) during a hypersaline phase.

BackgroundThe St. Lucia Estuary, Africa's largest estuarine lake, is currently experiencing unprecedented freshwater deprivation which has resulted in a northward gradient of drought effects, with hypersaline conditions in its northern lakes.Methodology/Principal FindingsThis study documents the changes that occurred in the biotic communities at False Bay from May 2010 to June 2011, in order to better understand ecosystem functioning in hypersaline habitats. Few zooplankton taxa were able to withstand the harsh environmental conditions during 2010. These were the flatworm Macrostomum sp., the harpacticoid copepod Cletocamptus confluens, the cyclopoid copepod Apocyclops cf. dengizicus and the ciliate Fabrea cf. salina. In addition to their exceptional salinity tolerance, they were involved in a remarkably simple food web. In June 2009, a bloom of an orange-pigmented cyanobacterium (Cyanothece sp.) was recorded in False Bay and persisted uninterruptedly for 18 months. Stable isotope analysis suggests that this cyanobacterium was the main prey item of F. cf. salina. This ciliate was then consumed by A. cf. dengizicus, which in turn was presumably consumed by flamingos as they flocked in the area when the copepods attained swarming densities. On the shore, cyanobacteria mats contributed to a population explosion of the staphylinid beetle Bledius pilicollis. Although zooplankton disappeared once salinities exceeded 130, many taxa are capable of producing spores or resting cysts to bridge harsh periods. The hypersaline community was disrupted by heavy summer rains in 2011, which alleviated drought conditions and resulted in a sharp increase in zooplankton stock and diversity.Conclusions/SignificanceDespite the current freshwater deprivation crisis, the False Bay region has shown to be resilient, harboring a unique biodiversity with species that are capable of enduring harsh environmental conditions. However, further freshwater deprivation may extend beyond the physiological thresholds of this community, as well as other unique biodiversity components which this system sustains.

Population dynamics and zooplankton-predation impact of the indigenous scyphozoan Aurelia aurita and the invasive ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi in Limfjorden (Denmark)

The invasive ctenophore, Mnemiopsis leidyi, which had its first mass occurrence in Limfjorden (Denmark) in 2007, and the indigenous common jellyfish, Aurelia aurita, were studied from autumn 2008 through summer 2009. By December 2008, both A. aurita and M. leidyi populations had disappeared for the winter. In 2009, the first A. aurita appeared in February and the medusae attained their maximum umbrella diameter by the end of June, when the estimated half-life of copepods was only 1.6 ± 1.1 d. Low densities of M. leidyi in early July (< 0.5 m -3 ) increased to high densities by late August (66.2 to 224.9 ind. m -3 ). In 2009, the estimated time to clear the central part of Limfjorden (Skive Fjord) of zooplankton by A. aurita and M. leidyi feeding was between 0.5 d (4 June) and 2.9 d (26 August). During that period, copepods and other mesozooplankton organisms were virtually absent while ciliates were a substantial part of the zooplankton biomass. In pre-Mnemiopsis years, there seems to have been large variability in the grazing impact on zooplankton depending on the seasonal abundance of A. aurita. With the addition of the second carnivore M. leidyi, however, additional predation pressure caused the zooplankton stocks to be severely depressed throughout 2008 and 2009 when copepods and cladocerans no longer showed the high seasonal peaks in abundance typical of previous years.

Multiyear variability of phytoplankton abundance in the Gulf of Maine

Abstract Kane, J. 2011. Multiyear variability of phytoplankton abundance in the Gulf of Maine. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 68: 1833–1841. Significant interannual changes in phytoplankton abundance were identified in the Continuous Plankton Recorder time-series collected in the Gulf of Maine from 1961 to 2008. Abundance levels of nearly all the common taxa began to increase in 1990 and remained elevated through 2001. During that period, total numbers were above average throughout the year, with an unusual bloom in late summer. Multivariate analysis of abundance identified three consecutive multiyear periods of varying abundance levels: low to average from 1961 to 1989, above average or very high from 1990 to 2001, and below average thereafter, through 2008. Phytoplankton abundance patterns were closely aligned to the rising trends displayed by several of the common zooplankton taxa. The North Atlantic Oscillation was the only environmental variable examined that showed some association with time-series abundance trends of plankton. The index was primarily positive in the 1990s, which would favour the propagation of warm, nutrient-rich slope water into the region. Perhaps the increased influx of this water, along with feedback enrichment from abundant zooplankton stocks and reduced top-down control by the relative scarcity of the dominant copepod Calanus finmarchicus, combined with a low salinity to make the 1990s a unique decade for plankton change in the Gulf of Maine.

The feeding ecology of little auks raises questions about winter zooplankton stocks in North Atlantic surface waters

Copepods are essential components of marine food webs worldwide. In the North Atlantic, they are thought to perform vertical migration and to remain at depths more than 500 m during winter. We challenge this concept through a study of the winter feeding ecology of little auks (Alle alle), a highly abundant planktivorous seabird from the North Atlantic. By combining stable isotope and behavioural analyses, we strongly suggest that swarms of copepods are still available to their predators in water surface layers (less than 50 m) during winter, even during short daylight periods. Using a new bioenergetic model, we estimate that the huge number (20-40 million birds) of little auks wintering off southwest Greenland consume 3600-7200 tonnes of copepods daily, strongly suggesting substantial zooplankton stocks in surface waters of the North Atlantic in the middle of the boreal winter.

Planktonic growth and grazing in the Columbia River plume region: A biophysical model study

A four‐box model of planktonic nutrient cycling was coupled to a high‐resolution hindcast circulation model of the Oregon‐Washington coast to assess the role of the Columbia River plume in shaping regional‐scale patterns of phytoplankton biomass and productivity. The ecosystem model tracks nitrogen in four phases: dissolved nutrients, phytoplankton biomass, zooplankton biomass, and detritus. Model parameters were chosen using biological observations and shipboard process studies from two cruises in 2004 and 2005 conducted as part of the River Influences on Shelf Ecosystems program. In particular, community growth and grazing rates from 26 microzooplankton dilution experiments were used, in conjunction with analytical equilibrium solutions to the model equations, to diagnose key model rate parameters. The result is a simple model that reproduces both stocks (of nutrients, phytoplankton, and zooplankton) and rates (of phytoplankton growth and microzooplankton grazing) simultaneously. Transient plume circulation processes are found to modulate the Washington‐Oregon upwelling ecosystem in two ways. First, the presence of the plume shifts primary production to deeper water: under weak or variable upwelling winds, 20% less primary production is seen on the inner shelf, and 10–20% more is seen past the 100 m isobath. River effects are smaller when upwelling is strong and sustained. Second, increased retention in the along‐coast direction (i.e., episodic interruption of equatorward transport) causes a net shift toward older communities and increased micrograzer impact on both the Oregon and Washington shelves from the midshelf seaward.

The next generation of iron fertilization experiments in the Southern Ocean

Of the various macro-engineering schemes proposed to mitigate global warming, ocean iron fertilization (OIF) is one that could be started at short notice on relevant scales. It is based on the reasoning that adding trace amounts of iron to iron-limited phytoplankton of the Southern Ocean will lead to blooms, mass sinking of organic matter and ultimately sequestration of significant amounts of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) in the deep sea and sediments. This iron hypothesis, proposed by John Martin in 1990 (Martin 1990 Paleoceanography 5, 1-13), has been tested by five mesoscale experiments that provided strong support for its first condition: stimulation of a diatom bloom accompanied by significant CO2 drawdown. Nevertheless, a number of arguments pertaining to the fate of bloom biomass, the ratio of iron added to carbon sequestered and various side effects of fertilization, continue to cast doubt on its efficacy. The idea is also unpopular with the public because it is perceived as meddling with nature. However, this apparent consensus against OIF is premature because none of the published experiments were specifically designed to test its second condition pertaining to the fate of iron-induced organic carbon. Furthermore, the arguments on side effects are based on worst-case scenarios. These doubts, formulated as hypotheses, need to be tested in the next generation of OIF experiments. We argue that such experiments, if carried out at appropriate scales and localities, will not only show whether the technique will work, but will also reveal a wealth of insights on the structure and functioning of pelagic ecosystems in general and the krill-based Southern Ocean ecosystem, in particular. The outcomes of current models on the efficacy and side effects of OIF differ widely, so data from adequately designed experiments are urgently needed for realistic parametrization. OIF is likely to boost zooplankton stocks, including krill, which could have a positive effect on recovery of the great whale populations. Negative effects of possible commercialization of OIF can be controlled by the establishment of an international body headed by scientists to supervise and monitor its implementation.

Zooplankton community structure, biomass and role in carbon fluxes during the second half of a phytoplankton bloom in the eastern sector of the Kerguelen Shelf (January–February 2005)

During the KEOPS survey, zooplankton was sampled with vertical tows to estimate zooplankton stock and to study its composition and size structure both using traditional taxonomic identification and Optical Plankton Counter (OPC). Mesozooplankton OPC-biomass derived from OPC size spectra and integrated over 200 m was variable with average values about 10 g C m−2 along transects A and B and at the fixed station KERFIX, and only ∼5 g C m−2 along transect C. Stations in the most oceanic area (A11, B11, and C11) presented biomass values 3 times lower than the mean value of their respective transects, highlighting a clear decrease of the biomass beyond the shelf. The mesozooplankton community was dominated by copepods, particularly by large- and medium-size calanoids and small Oithonidae. Large numbers of different copepodites stages and nauplii were found, as well as exuviae, indicating that individuals were in active growing phase over the whole area. Euphausiids, chaetognaths, appendicularians, amphipods, polychaetes, ostracods and salps were found as well. Two reference stations, A3 located in the middle of the bloom on the shelf and C11 in the oceanic waters, were visited several times during the cruise. No particular temporal variations, neither in biomass nor in community structure, were observed, but differences in integrated biomass (average biomass at A3: 10.6 g C m−2; at C11: 2.8 g C m−2) between oceanic and shelf stations clearly show an enhanced secondary production on the shelf. Additional measurements at some stations were performed in order to quantify ingestion (gut contents) and respiration rates on key species and size groups. Gut pigment contents were higher during the first half of the survey at both stations, showing clear temporal changes probably linked to the prey field, with lower values always reported in the oceanic waters compared to the shelf. Values of respiration and ingestion rates extrapolated from OPC size spectra using published allometric relationships are discussed.

Modeling the nitrogen and carbon cycling in Marguerite Bay, Antarctica: Annual variations in ammonium and net community production

A quasi-two-dimensional biogeochemical model was applied to Marguerite Bay to investigate differences in the seasonal cycles of nitrogen and carbon of the plankton communities between 2000–2001 and 2001–2002. The impetus for the modeling effort came from observations made during the US SO Southern Ocean Global Ocean Ecosystem dynamics (SO GLOBEC) program field surveys in 2001 and 2002 that showed a two-fold decrease in net community production (NCP) and ammonium stocks. Simulated nutrient fields matched these observations, indicating that NCP was mainly controlled by the availability of light to phytoplankton. Greater sea-ice cover led to a shorter phytoplankton bloom in 2001–2002 than in 2000–2001. Furthermore, the simulated lower primary production led to smaller bacterial ammonification during the second year. Additionally, smaller zooplankton stocks were observed that led to less simulated excretion of ammonium during 2002. The results of the numerical simulations showed that remineralization of organic matter to ammonium by bacteria accounted for up to 45% of the ammonium production during each year.

Population succession and feeding of scyphomedusae, Aurelia aurita, in a eutrophic tropical lagoon in Taiwan

Seasonal dynamics and feeding of scyphomedusae, Aurelia aurita, were investigated monthly from 1999 to 2002 in relation to environmental conditions in Tapong Bay, a eutrophic tropical lagoon in southwestern Taiwan. Medusae appeared throughout the year but exhibited seasonal dynamics that were correlated with hydrographic features in the bay. Most ephyrae of A. aurita occurred mainly in the lower flushed and eutrophic inner bay, and during the cold, dry season between November and February. They grew to young medusae with a maximum abundance in spring (March–May), but their numbers abruptly decreased during the warm and rainy summer season in June–September. The remaining medusae then grew rapidly to a maximal size of 29 cm. Mature females spawned in the following autumn when precipitation decreased but zooplankton food was still abundant. These mature individuals decreased in size after spawning and in winter. Gut content analysis revealed that A. aurita fed mainly on copepods and copepod nauplii and less on bivalve larvae and fish eggs. Prey selectivity indices indicated that larger medusae selected positively for copepods while small size medusae preferred copepod nauplii. The overall feeding effect of A. aurita on the standing stock of zooplankton was significant (27%) in the bay. Our results suggest that tidal flow and dense oyster culture pens were the two most important factors influencing the spatial distribution pattern of A. aurita in the bay, while precipitation affected the population abundance seasonally; decreasing water temperature coincided with the mass release of ephyra in late autumn and winter.

Response of Drinking-water Reservoir Ecosystems to Decreased Acidic Atmospheric Deposition in SE Germany: Signs of Biological Recovery

Strongly decreasing atmospheric emissions and acidic deposition during the 1990s have initiated chemical reversal from acidification in several drinking-water reservoirs of the Erzgebirge, SE Germany. We studied responses of phytoplankton, zooplankton and fish stocks in five reservoirs and at enclosure scale after experimental neutralization of 1,200 m3 of lake water. About 4 months after this treatment, diatoms and cryptomonads replaced the predominating chrysophytes and dinoflagellates. The colonization by acid-sensitive species of green algae, cryptomonads, rotifers and Cladocera (e.g. Bosmina longirostris) is explained by the occurrence of dormant stages or by survival of individuals in very low abundances. Analogous to the enclosure experiment, three reservoirs showed significantly (p < 0.01) falling trends of chlorophyll a and phytoplankton biovolume, mainly due to the decline of dinoflagellates. Picoplankton and diatoms increased slightly in two reservoirs. The zooplankton communities were dominated by rotifers and small Cladocera. Representatives of the genus Daphnia were lacking. Two reservoirs were re-colonized by zooplanktivorous fish populations of either perch (Perca fluviatilis) or sunbleak (Leucaspius delineatus). The latter exhibited extremely high fluctuating abundance and biomass and even suffered from a population crash. This natural mortality was caused by a limited food supply. Hence, severe top-down control may delay the recovery of larger zooplankton species like daphnids. Fishery management comprising the introduction of predatory fishes can help to control zooplanktivorous fish populations and to prevent their mass mortality.

Invasive ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi in the Caspian Sea: feeding, respiration, reproduction and predatory impact on zooplankton community

The impact of the invasive ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi on the zooplankton commu- nity of the Caspian Sea was quantified according to food consumption and other major physiological activities (i.e. respiration and reproduction), coupled with field data on population structure. The adverse effects of M. leidyi on the zooplankton community during the first years of the invasion were tremendous for the Caspian Sea compared to other regions affected by this ctenophore. The impact was highest in summer, due to high water temperatures and a population size structure in which juvenile ctenophores with mean lengths of 2 to 5 mm accounted for most of the population. During winter/spring, these ctenophores could consume the available stock of zooplankton in 3 to 8 d, whereas in summer consumption took only 1 d. The computed critical ctenophore biomass that does not affect (decrease) the abundance of mesozooplankton in the Caspian Sea is about 4 g m -3 (or 120 g m -2 , assuming most of the ctenophores occur in the upper 30 m layer). As is clear from the moni- toring data, the M.leidyi biomass in summer in different regions of the Caspian Sea is far in excess of this value. Such a high abundance of ctenophores, if maintained, would constantly keep the non- gelatinous zooplankton biomass at very low levels, and, as a consequence, no recovery could be expected in the pelagic fishery.

Zooplankton and the oceanography of the eastern tropical Pacific: A review

We review the spatial and temporal patterns of zooplankton in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean and relationships with oceanographic factors that affect zooplankton distribution, abundance and trophic relationships. Large-scale spatial patterns of some zooplankton groups show broad coincidence with surface water masses, circulation, and upwelling regions, in agreement with an ecological and dynamic partitioning of the pelagic ecosystem. The papers reviewed and a new compilation of zooplankton volume data at large-scale show that abundance patterns of zooplankton biomass have their highest values in the upwelling regions, including the Gulf of Tehuantepec, the Costa Rica Dome, the equatorial cold tongue, and the coast of Peru. Some of the first studies of zooplankton vertical distribution were done in this region, and a general review of the topic is presented. The possible physiological implications of vertical migration in zooplankton and the main hypotheses are described, with remarks on the importance of the oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) as a barrier to both the vertical distribution and migration of zooplankton in the region. Recent results, using multiple-net gear, show that vertical distribution is more complex than previously thought. There are some well-adapted species that do live and migrate within the OMZ. Temporal patterns are reviewed and summarized with historical data. Seasonal variations in zooplankton biomass follow productivity cycles in upwelling areas. No zooplankton time series exist to resolve ENSO effects in oceanic regions, but some El Niño events have had effects in the Peru Current ecosystem. Multidecadal periods of up to 50 years show a shift from a warm sardine regime with a low zooplankton biomass to a cool anchovy regime in the eastern Pacific with higher zooplankton biomasses. However, zooplankton volume off Peru has remained at low values since the 1972 El Niño, a trend opposite to that of anchoveta biomass since 1984. Studies of trophic relations emphasize the difference in the productivity cycle in the eastern tropical Pacific compared to temperate or polar ecosystems, with no particular peaks in the stocks of either zooplankton or phytoplankton. Productivity is more dependent on local events like coastal upwelling or water circulation, especially in the equatorial countercurrent and around the equatorial cool-tongue. Micrograzers are very important in the tropics as are predatory mesozooplankton. Up to 70% of the daily primary productivity is consumed by microzooplankton, which thus regulates the phytoplankton stocks. Micrograzers are an important link between primary producers, including bacteria, and mesozooplankton, constituting up to 80% of mesozooplankton food. Oceanography affects zooplankton trophic relationships through spatial–temporal effects on primary productivity and on the distributions of metabolic factors, food organisms, and predators. This paper is part of a comprehensive review of the oceanography of the eastern tropical Pacific.

Factors affecting seasonal patterns in epilimnion zooplankton community in one of the largest man-made lakes in Africa (Lake Nasser, Egypt)

The objective of the study was to determine which factors regulate zooplankton organisms along Lake Nasser. Temperature, pH, DO, conductivity, turbidity, nutrients, and zooplankton abundance were measured. Twenty-three species of zooplankton were recorded in Lake Nasser included in Copepoda, Cladocera and Rotifera. Copepoda represented the main bulk of the community. The lowest standing stock of zooplankton was noticed during spring due to the highest fish predation during this season associated with the lowest turbidity. Big difference in temperature in Lake Nasser along the year round is considered as a controlling factor related to range of tolerance of species. The oscillation of the lake water level and the different factors affect the standing stock of zooplankton in the lake. Thus, continuous monitoring of Lake Nasser biota should be undertaken to follow the changes in the ecosystem.