Thông tin chung

Nội dung

The seasonal variations of zooplankton community were investigated at 52 stations in winter (March), spring (June), summer (September), and fall (November) in the South Sea of Korea in 2016. Zooplankton samples were collected by a Bongo net (80cm net mouth diameter, 330μm mesh size) from near the bottom to the surface. Water temperature and salinity were measured simultaneously at zooplankton sampling stations. Hydrographic characteristics showed clear seasonal changes both in vertical and horizontal structures. Surface temperature was warmest in summer, and coolest in winter. Zooplankton community varied with seasons. Zooplankton community consisted of 365 taxa. The lowest number of taxa was in winter, and the highest was in summer. Zooplankton densities increased gradually from winter to reach a peak in summer. Three zooplankton communities were determined via cluster analysis: southern coast, around Jeju island and southern part of Jeju island. The zooplankton abundance was dominated by copepods which constituted over 50% of zooplankton abundance in all seasons. Based on the BEST analysis of surface environmental factors showed that temperature and salinity were the environmental variables, explaining the distribution pattern of the zooplankton community. Our results suggest that zooplankton community are highly influenced by different water masses in the Korean Strait.

Do Thanh An