Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
6360799 | Marine Pollution Bulletin | 2012 | 11 Pages |
Abstract
Metazooplankton abundance, biomass (<80 μm, 200-500 μm and >500 μm) and community structure in the Ahe atoll were studied together with their relationships with environmental factors (temperature, salinity, wind) and trophic factors (phytoplankton, bacteria, heterotrophic nanoflagellates (HNF) and ciliates) during three periods in 2008-2009. Meroplankton, mainly bivalve and gastropod larvae, was dominant. Holoplankton was dominated by copepods, the main species being Oithona spp., Paracalanus parvus, Clausocalanus spp., Corycaeus spp., Acartia fossae and Undinula vulgaris. The results suggest a clear wind influence on the structure and horizontal distribution of the zooplankton communities. The metazooplankton appeared to be controlled mainly by food resources, suggesting a bottom-up control. The low nanophytoplankton biomass in contrast to the high abundance of picophytoplankton, HNF and nano-particle grazers (mainly Oithona spp., Paracalanus and bivalve larvae) highlighted the importance of the microbial loop in the food web.
Keywords
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Earth and Planetary Sciences
Oceanography
Authors
Marc Pagano, Pascual-Boi Sagarra, Gisèle Champalbert, Marc Bouvy, Christine Dupuy, Yoann Thomas, Loïc Charpy,