Characterization of seasonal and inter-annual changes in the abundance of species of marine Cladocera on the Turkish coast of the northeastern Levantine Basin

• Published in: Crustaceana 2014, Vol.87 (7), p.769-783
• Main Authors: Terbiyik Kurt, Tuba, Polat, Sevi°m
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cladocera; Evadne spinifera; Penilia avirostris; Pleopis; Podon intermedius
• ISSN: 0011-216X; 1568-5403; 0011-216X
• DOI: 10.1163/15685403-00003325

The purpose of this study was to describe temporal variations in the abundance of cladocerans in the Mediterranean Sea in relation to environmental parameters. The study was conducted between 2008 and 2011 at five sampling stations located in the coastal waters of İskenderun Bay. Zooplankton samples were seasonally collected for four years using a 200-μm mesh WP-2 zooplankton net. The contribution of cladocerans to the total zooplankton community was 22.8% in 2008 and 9.3% in 2009. In 2010 (59.4%) and 2011 (63.4%), the annual mean abundance of cladocerans increased markedly from 473 ind. m−3 to 3917 ind. m−3 and accounted for more than half of the zooplankton population. A total of five species of Cladocera were found: Penilia avirostris Dana, 1849, Pseudevadne tergestina (Claus, 1877), Evadne spinifera P. E. Müller, 1867, Pleopis polyphaemoides (Leuckart, 1859) and Podon intermedius Lilljeborg, 1853. Penilia avirostris was the most abundant species during all seasons, especially in April and July, for all four years of the study. The abundance of total cladocerans and P. avirostris was negatively correlated with salinity (p