The zooplankton community of the Mpenjati Estuary, a South African temporarily open/closed system

The aim of this study was to examine spatial and temporal variability in zooplankton abundance and biomass, both during the closed (dry season) and open (wet season) phases of the Mpenjati Estuary, South Africa. On average, nighttime abundance values were 1–3 orders of magnitude higher than daytime values. A total of 51 and 36 zooplankton taxa were identified during the open and closed phases, respectively. The estuarine species Pseudodiaptomus hessei, Acartia natalensis and Gastrosaccus brevifissura dominated the assemblage during both phases. During the open phase marine zooplankton species entered the estuary and increased the zooplankton species diversity. At the same time, the biomass of the estuarine zooplankton species decreased substantially due to scouring of the sediment, increase in salinity and turbulence, and possibly also in grazing pressure. Conversely, during the closed phase the zooplankton diversity decreased, since no marine organisms entered the estuary, but the biomass of typical estuarine species increased due to the stability of the estuary. The fluctuations in the zooplankton community structure between the closed and the open phases suggest that the opening and the closing of the estuary are very important processes in determining the food web of the estuary.