Seasonal variability of copepod abundance in the Balearic region (Western Mediterranean) as an indicator of basin scale hydrological changes |
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Authors: | Ma Luz Fernández de Puelles Ángel Lopéz-Urrutia Ana Morillas Juan Carlos Molinero |
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Institution: | 1.Centro Oceanográfico de Baleares, Instituto Espa?ol de Oceanografía,Palma de Mallorca,Spain;2.Centro Oceanográfico de Gijón, Instituto Espa?ol de Oceanografía,Gijon,Spain;3.Laboratoire d’Océanologie et de Géosciences,Université des Sciences et Technologies de Lille-Lille1,Wimereux,France;4.Marine Ecology/Experimental Ecology,Leibniz-Institut für Meereswissenschaften,Kiel,Germany |
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Abstract: | Spatial and temporal changes of the copepod community have been investigated and related to the environmental variability
of the Balearic Sea (Western Mediterranean). The period studied spans from 1994 to 1999 during which we analyzed the abundance
and structure copepod variability over a cross-shore transect. Results showed a close link between hydrological changes and
the variations of copepod abundance. The synchronous variability of copepods and hydrography indicated the rapid response
of this zooplankton group to the inflow of cold and warm water masses coming through the study area. Cluster analysis revealed
four main copepod assemblages that distinguished the coastal from the oceanic species and those species with different water
masses preference. The copepod assemblage composed of Calanus helgolandicus, Clausocalanus arcuicornis, C. pergens, C. paululus, Calocalanus tenuis and Pleuromamma gracilis was associated with cool salty waters, whereas the assemblage formed by Temora stylifera, C. pavo, C. styliremis, Centropages bradyi and Acartia danae was related to warmer less saline Mediterranean waters. Moreover, it is suggested that changes in sea water temperature and
salinity are linked to large-scale changes likely occurring at a basin scale, which is reflected in the Western Mediterranean
mesoscale hydrographic changes. Therefore, it is stressed that changes in the Balearic copepod community can be used as potential
tracers of the western Mediterranean water masses.
Guest editors: S. Souissi & G. A. Boxshall
Copepoda in the Mediterranean: Papers from the 9th International Conference on Copepoda, Hammamet, Tunisia |
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Keywords: | Copepods Hydrography Interannual-changes Balearic Sea Western Mediterranean |
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