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Tempo-spatial distribution and feeding of planktonic copepods in Kaoping coastal waters,Taiwan

Abstract
This research aims to investigate temporal and spatial distribution of planktonic copepods in relation to enviromental factors at five stations in Kaoping coastal waters, and their feeding impact on phytoplankton during September 1999 to June 2001. In total, 79 species of copepods belonging to 19 families and 4 orders, plus 23 unidentified species, were found from the samples collected by the plankton net with 330 µm mesh. The mean abundance of the collected copepods is 4.2¡Ó2.0 x104 ind./100m3. The number of copepod species in each sample varied from 34 to 61, and the species diversity index of the samples ranged from 2.4 to 3.8. The abundance of copepods in surface tows was generally higher than that of 100 meter oblique tows, and vice versa of the species number and species diversity index. Temora turbinata, Acrocalanus spp., Paracalanus spp., unidentified copepodites and Farranula gibbula were the five most dominant species, contributing to 53.2 % of the total copepod abundance. T. turbinata was the most abundant species (20.4 % of the total catch). The abundance of copepods were highter in March and September than in June and December and lower at offshore stations than at inshore stations. The total copepod abundance was significantly correlated with salinity and chlorophyll a. And, it was interpreted that the community structure and distribution of copepods were influenced by coastal upwelling, change of water mass and river effluence.
Another sampling at the same stations during September 2000 to June 2001, in total, 48 species of copepods belonging to 16 families and 4 orders, plus 15 unidentified species were found from the samples collected by the plankton net with 100 µm mesh. The mean abundance of the copepods is 33.5¡Ó9.9 x104 ind./100m3. The number of copepod species in each sample varied from 27 to 38, and the species diversity index of the samples ranged from 3.0 to 3.2. Copepodite, Oithona spp., Paracalanus spp., Nanuplius, Oncaea venusta and Euterpina acutifrons were the six most dominant species or taxa, contributing to 75.2% of the total copepod abundance. The abundance of copepods were higher in June and September than in March and December and lower at offshore stations than at inshore stations. The fact that total copepod abundance was significantly correlated with salinity and chlorophyll a was explained of that the community structure and distribution of copepods were probably influenced by river effluence. The abundance and species number of copepods collected by the net with 330 µm mesh and 100 µm mesh were significantly different. The abundance of copepods collected by the 100 µm mesh net was about 8 times higher than that of 330 µm mesh net, but the number of copepod species was about 25 species less. In all, the grazing impact of copepods on phytoplankton was minor, it was between 0.90 to 1.25% per day in June and between 0.44 to 4.55 per day in November.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:NSYSU/oai:NSYSU:etd-0822102-185116
Date22 August 2002
CreatorsHuang, Hsiang-hao
ContributorsChang-Tai Shih, Wen-Tseng Lo, Jiang-Shiou Hwang, Shing-Ping Yeh
PublisherNSYSU
Source SetsNSYSU Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Archive
LanguageCholon
Detected LanguageEnglish
Typetext
Formatapplication/pdf
Sourcehttp://etd.lib.nsysu.edu.tw/ETD-db/ETD-search/view_etd?URN=etd-0822102-185116
Rightsunrestricted, Copyright information available at source archive

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