Spatial and temporal variability of the zooplankton community in Valdés Biosphere Reserve, Patagonia, Argentina: Nuevo Gulf case study

• Published in: Continental Shelf Research
• Main Authors: Nocera, Ariadna Celina, D'agostino, Valeria Carina, Schloss, Irene Ruth, Gonçalves, Rodrigo Javier
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Pergamon-Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: ARGENTINA; CALANOID COPEPODS; COASTAL ECOSYSTEM; COMMUNITY COMPOSITION; DREPANOPUS FORCIPATUS; NUEVO GULF; PATAGONIA; ZOOPLANKTON; https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.6; https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1; Argentina; Austral; Patagonia; San Juan; Copepods; Tierra del Fuego
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11336/153439

Zooplankton diversity has been identified as one of the biological Essential Ocean Variables to detect temporal and spatial changes in marine biodiversity and ecosystem health. The present study evaluated the mesozooplankton community composition and abundance associated with oceanographic variables in Nuevo Gulf (NG, 42° 42′S, 64° 30′W), a World Heritage Site in Argentinian Patagonia and part of the Valdés Biosphere Reserve. We found that >43% of total mesozooplankton community abundance was composed by copepods, followed by cladocerans (24%) in spring, while copepods represented more than 98% in summer. Variability of the abundances in most mesozooplankton groups was associated with chlorophyll a and temperature values. Among copepods, Calanoida predominated in the community, mainly reflecting high densities of Ctenocalanus vanus, especially in summer. In addition, we report for the first time the presence of the copepod Drepanopus forcipatus in this Gulf. Zooplankton information for this region is scarce and fragmented, thus a short review of previous mesozooplankton studies from nearby areas is included for context. Our work emphasizes the importance of continuous and long-term monitoring to better understand the zooplankton community under expected environmental changes. Fil: Nocera, Ariadna Celina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico. Centro para el Estudio de Sistemas Marinos; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia "San Juan Bosco"; Argentina Fil: D'agostino, Valeria Carina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico. Centro para el Estudio de Sistemas Marinos; Argentina Fil: Schloss, Irene Ruth. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Tierra del Fuego; Argentina. Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Comercio ...