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1.
A fisheries research cruise conducted in 2000 offered a first opportunity to take simultaneous measurements of the activities of three enzymes in mesozooplankton samples collected at a regional scale over the continental shelf of the Bay of Biscay in the NE Atlantic, with the aim of characterizing main aspects of the functioning of the biotic environment of small pelagic fish populations. The activity of the digestive endopeptidase trypsin was selected to characterize the assimilation rate of proteins, whereas pyruvate kinase (PK) was chosen as an indicator of carbohydrate assimilation and aspartate transcarbamylase (ATC) provided an overall assessment of mesozooplankton productivity. The Bay of Biscay region is subject to various strong physical driving forces that directly affect the primary structure of the pelagic food web. On our cruise, the phytoplankton biomass distribution reflected these different physical influences: diatoms dominated the nutrient-enriched coastal water; picoplankton dominated the northern-central part where nutrients were depleted; and nanoplankton were abundant at the shelf break where internal waves provided an input of nutrients. These and other results (on bacteria, particulate organic carbon distribution, among others) illustrate the differences that exist in the microbial food webs of different sectors of the bay. The living matter produced was characterized by the quality and quantity of the smallest prey items that were available to higher trophic levels. Variations in mesozooplankton enzyme activities may agree well not only with classically expected results, but also present unexpected special features: high ATC specific activities were measured around the mouth of the Gironde, in the nutrient-rich desalted water of the plume, but surprisingly not in front of the Loire river. PK specific activities reflected preponderantly the balance between phytoplankton cells sizes and the related bacterial abundance resulting from nutrient limitation (mainly P), that induces varying carbohydrates production potential. Trypsin specific activities were moderately variable, except in a restricted area where a highly abundant protein content characterized the particulate matter and in the plume of water flowing out of the Gironde. It is concluded that the presented approach of the metabolism of mesozooplankton communities may provide novel views on crucial processes occurring at the mesoscale, which fits in generally well with the scales of ecological factors mostly influential on small pelagic fish populations. 相似文献
2.
In the 2000 and 2001 springtime periods, mesozooplankton samples were systematically taken during research cruises devoted
to the study of the distribution and abundance of small pelagic fishes in the French part of the Bay of Biscay, NE Atlantic,
continental shelf. Simultaneous activities of three enzymes were measured in these mesozooplankton samples, to characterize
the main features of ecosystem function at a regional scale. The aim was to assess assimilation rates of carbohydrates, through
pyruvate kinase activity, and protein, through trypsin activity, by the mesozooplankton community and the resulting overall
productivity, through aspartate transcarbamylase activity. The highest influence on the pelagic environment was the strong
difference in the freshwater outflow rates from the two main large rivers, the Loire and the Gironde, which was principally
responsible for the inter-annual fluctuations of the nutrients in the Bay. This overall influence of river flow results in
a characteristic pattern of sea-surface salinity, which was reflected by the phytoplankton biomass distribution. Mesozooplankton
enzyme activities showed high variations between the two years. The contrast in the dynamics of the pelagic food web processes
between the two consecutive years, with higher activity in 2001, affected the nutritional condition of the zooplanktivorous
breeding anchovy Engraulis encrasicolus. 相似文献
3.
Mesozooplankton spatial distribution and community structure in the South Adriatic Sea during two winters (2015, 2016)
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Whereas the data on mesozooplankton in the epipelagic offshore Mediterranean Sea are extensive, less information is available about plankton in the deeper layers. The present study aims to describe the vertical and horizontal structure and distribution of mesozooplankton species and their associations down to 1,200 m in the water of the Southern Adriatic Sea. Zooplankton were sampled using a Nansen net of 200‐μm mesh size during two cruises in the winters of 2015 and 2016, extending from the coast to the open sea. In total, 203 zooplankton taxa were identified. The community was dominated by copepods, representing between 67% and 91% of the total abundance. The highest total densities were recorded in the upper layers where a high proportion (up to 36%) of appendicularians was also observed in the first sampled year. Five groups of samples were determined based on their community structure. In 2015 communities were distinct between the 0 and 50 m layer and the underlying one (50–100 m), whereas in 2016 epipelagic waters were inhabited by a more uniform mesozooplankton community. The mesopelagic and deep‐water fauna, especially copepods, showed a relatively stable composition in both sampling years Overall, our study confirms the oligotrophic character of the Southern Adriatic, with occasional density outbreaks of appendicularians under favourable conditions. 相似文献
4.
The effects of vertical sampling resolution on estimates of plankton biomass and grazing calculations were examined using data collected in two different areas with vertically stratified water columns. Data were collected from one site in the upwelling region off Oregon and from four sites in the Northern Gulf of Mexico, three within the Mississippi River plume and one in adjacent oceanic waters. Plankton were found to be concentrated in discrete layers with sharp vertical gradients at all the stations. Phytoplankton distributions were correlated with gradients in temperature and salinity, but microzooplankton and mesozooplankton distributions were not. Layers of zooplankton were sometimes collocated with layers of phytoplankton, but this was not always the case. Simulated calculations demonstrate that when averages are taken over the water column, or coarser scale vertical sampling resolution is used, biomass and mesozooplankton grazing and filtration rates can be greatly underestimated. This has important implications for understanding the ecological significance of discrete layers of plankton and for assessing rates of grazing and production in stratified water columns. 相似文献
5.
Interannual variations of biomass of major mesozooplankton groups (Cnidaria, Chaetognatha, Copepoda, Crustacea other than
copepods, Tunicata) in the January to March period were examined in the slope, Kuroshio and offshore waters off the Pacific
coast of western Japan (western region) from 1971 to 1988 and off central Japan (central region) from 1971 to 1989. The mean
biomass for each year of most of the mesozooplankton groups was high in the early 1970s and tended to decrease (in the western
region) or to have dropped to a lower level (in the central region) after the mid-1970s. Stepwise multiple linear regression
analyses of the mean biomass for each year of each mesozooplankton group in the Kuroshio in both regions against climatic
factors revealed that the biomass was related positively to wind speed. It is therefore considered that the nutrient supply
to the upper layers limits the production of many of the mesozooplankton groups examined in the Kuroshio, even in winter.
Similar relationships were also found for the biomass of Copepoda, non-copepod Crustacea and Tunicata in the offshore water
in the western region. The percentage of copepods in the biomass in the central region seemed to decrease under high water
temperature conditions, while that of Chaetgnatha tended to increase. Climatic factors thus largely influenced the interannual
variations of biomass and composition of mesozooplankton in and near the Kuroshio during the winter to early spring period.
This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date. 相似文献
6.
S. G. Prabhu Matondkar K. K. C. Nair Z. A. Ansari 《Marine Georesources & Geotechnology》2013,31(4):299-313
Phytoplankton biomass, taxonomy, primary productivity, and photosynthetically available radiation (PAR) were studied as part of baseline data collection for prospective nodule mining in the Central Indian Basin during the ORV Sagar Kanya cruise SK-120 in January 1997. The phytoplankton cell counts and chlorophyll a estimates showed low biomass level, suggesting low rates of primary productivity in the region studied. The average chlorophyll a value was 0.775 mg m?3 at surface and 17.75 mg m?2 in the water column. Similarly, average primary productivity at surface was 3.72 mg C m?3 d?1 and was 51.23 mg C m?2 d?1 in column. The chlorophyll a maxima at 50 to 80 m was the characteristic feature of the euphotic zones of the area. Average phytoplankton counts at the surface were low (3960 cells/l), compared to those at 25 m (6421 cells/l) and 75 m (5187 cells/l). At most of the stations mesozooplankton biomass was maximum in the top 50 m water column, indicating the importance of grazing in the euphotic zone. Appreciable quantities of mesozooplankton were observed below the euphotic zone, where settlement of chlorophyll a occurs. The low iron concentration in the water and its relationship with the water column productivity were correlated. The results show that waters in the CIB have low productivity in the surface as well as subsurface layers. This is expected to change in this case of a mining discharge in to these layers, possibly locally affecting the existing marine ecosystems. The final impact of such mining activity may remain negligible in the deep sea environment. 相似文献
7.
We investigated seasonal changes in carbon demand and flux by mesozooplankton communities at subtropical (S1) and subarctic sites (K2) in the western North Pacific Ocean to compare the impact of mesozooplankton communities on the carbon budget in surface and mesopelagic layers. Fecal pellet fluxes were one order higher at K2 than at S1, and seemed to be enhanced by copepod and euphausiid egestion under high chlorophyll a concentrations. The decrease in pellet volume and the lack of any substantial change in shape composition during sink suggest a decline in fecal pellet flux due to coprorhexy and coprophagy. While respiratory and excretory carbon by diel migrants at depth (i.e., active carbon flux) was similar between the two sites, the actively transported carbon exceeded sinking fecal pellets at S1. Mesozooplankton carbon demand in surface and mesopelagic layers was higher at K2 than S1, and an excess of demand to primary production and sinking POC flux was found during some seasons at K2. We propose that this demand was met by supplementary carbon sources such as feeding on protozoans and fecal pellets at the surface and carnivory of migrants at mesopelagic depths. 相似文献
8.
Minoru Kitamura Toru Kobari Makio C. Honda Kazuhiko Matsumoto Kosei Sasaoka Rie Nakamura Kazuyuki Tanabe 《Journal of Oceanography》2016,72(3):387-402
Seasonal changes in mesozooplankton biomass and their community structures were observed at time-series stations K2 (subarctic) and S1 (subtropical) in the western North Pacific Ocean. At K2, the maximum biomass was observed during the spring when primary productivity was still low. The annual mean biomasses in the euphotic and 200- to 1000-m layers were 1.39 (day) and 2.49 (night) g C m?2 and 4.00 (day) and 3.63 (night) g C m?2, respectively. Mesozooplankton vertical distribution was bimodal and mesopelagic peak was observed in a 200- to 300-m layer; it mainly comprised dormant copepods. Copepods predominated in most sampling layers, but euphausiids were dominant at the surface during the night. At S1, the maximum biomass was observed during the spring and the peak timing of biomass followed those of chlorophyll a and primary productivity. The annual mean biomasses in the euphotic and 200- to 1000-m layers were 0.10 (day) and 0.21 (night) g C m?2 and 0.47 (day) and 0.26 (night) g C m?2, respectively. Copepods were dominant in most sampling layers, but their mean proportion was lower than that in K2. Mesozooplankton community characteristics at both sites were compared with those at other time-series stations in the North Pacific and with each other. The annual mean primary productivities and sinking POC fluxes were equivalent at both sites; however, mesozooplankton biomasses were higher at K2 than at S1. The difference of biomasses was probably caused by differences of individual carbon losses, population turnover rates, and trophic structures of communities between the two sites. 相似文献
9.
The intensive study of the Arabian Sea during the 1990s included mesozooplankton investigations by the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Pakistan, India, Germany and the United States. Several major discoveries resulted. First, the high biomass of mesozooplankton observed during the Northeast Monsoon season is sustained by primary productivity stimulated by convective mixing and by an active microbial loop. The apparent ‘paradox’ of high standing stocks of mesozooplankton coinciding with low standing stocks of phytoplankton thus was resolved. Second, the Southwest Monsoon (upwelling) season supports a burst of mesozooplankton growth, much of which is exported to the interior of the Arabian Sea by strong currents and eddy activity and to depth at the end of the season when diapause causes at least one very abundant copepod to leave the epipelagic zone. Third, the oxygen minimum zone severely restricts the vertical distribution of mesozooplankton in the eastern region of the Arabian Sea. The copepod that withstands conditions in the OMZ most readily, Pleuromamma indica, has increased in abundance over the past thirty years suggesting the OMZ may have grown in size and/or intensity in that time. Fourth, the Fall Intermonsoon and Northeast Monsoon seasons are characterized everywhere by increased abundance of the cyclopoid copepod genus, Oithona. Abundances of Oithona measured in the 1990s are much higher than those of the 1930s, suggesting food web alterations over the past half-century. 相似文献
10.
《Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography》2009,56(15):954-963
Mesozooplankton and 63–200 μm net-collected microzooplankton grazing on phytoplankton and protozoans was evaluated by 24-h incubations on a latitudinal transect in the Atlantic Ocean, from 35°N to 38°S (AMT-15; September–October 2004). The sampling area comprised contrasting ecosystems, including upwelling zones and oligotrophic subtropical gyres. Grazing impacts of mesozooplankton and 63–200 μm microzooplankton on total chlorophyll a (Chl a), >5 μm Chl a, ciliates, and dinoflagellates were low for both zooplankton size fractions, always removing<1.5% of the standing stocks of these groups. Grazing had a slightly greater impact upon primary production (up to 10% of primary production consumed daily), although on most occasions grazing removed<1% of primary production per day. To account for the reduction of micrograzers by predators in the experimental bottles and the consequent reduction of grazing pressure, the data were corrected with knowledge on the decrease of microzooplankton during incubations and global estimates of microzooplankton grazing. The corrected grazing rates for mesozooplankton ranged from 4% to 28% of the primary production consumed daily, and from 1% to 2% of the standing stock of Chl a removed every day. The 63–200 μm microzooplankton corrected grazing impact was always<5% of the primary production and standing stock consumed per day. The corrected grazing activity of 63–200 μm microzooplankton and mesozooplankton rendered daily rations ranging from 3% to 38% of the body carbon consumed daily, not sufficient for basal metabolism in most of the areas studied. Finally, the data on mesozooplankton grazing on primary production confirm the recent hypothesis of a decline of the relative importance of mesozooplankton grazing on primary producers with increasing primary production [Calbet, A., 2001. Mesozooplankton grazing effect on primary production: a global comparative analysis in marine ecosystems. Limnology and Oceanography 46, 1824–1830]. 相似文献
11.
《Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography》1999,46(11-12):2645-2668
IronEx I demonstrated a rapid and marked response by grazers to Fe-induced increases in phytoplankton stocks, which was thought to be due, in part, to arrested vertical migration by mesozooplankton. These observations prompted an investigation of the relative roles of Fe enrichment and grazing pressure in controlling the magnitude of phytoplankton stocks in the NE subarctic Pacific. The grazing impact of increased mesozooplankton abundance in response to a localised Fe-induced enhancement of algal biomass was simulated by performing in vitro (6 d) grazer perturbation experiments in May 1994 and September 1995 at Ocean Station Papa (OSP), when pelagic mesozooplankton stocks are usually at their annual maximum and submaximal, respectively. Manipulations were designed to increase mesozooplankton stocks in 25L carboys after various lag-times corresponding to grazing pressure greater or equal to that in situ, and to monitor changes in chlorophyll a levels as a proxy for grazing pressure. At the onset of the experiments, in vitro mesozooplankton abundances were comparable to those in situ. Despite the addition of mesozooplankton to selected Fe-enriched carboys in May after 24, 48 and 72 h, corresponding to ca. two-fold increases in their abundances, chlorophyll a increased to ca. 2 μg l−1 in all treatments. In September, chlorophyll a levels increased five-fold to 2 μg l−1 after 4 days – but little thereafter – in the presence of up to ten-fold higher animal abundances (added at t=0) than observed in situ. Thus, Fe-induced increases in diatom growth rates were sufficiently high to escape both initial and additional grazing pressure. If and when Fe is supplied to this region, it is unlikely that mesozooplankton can respond and graze down the resulting elevated algal abundance. Theoretical calculations, based on algal growth and grazing rate data from May in this study, suggested that a greater than five-fold increase in mesozooplankton abundance, after a 48-h lag, is required to exert sufficient grazing pressure to prevent Fe-mediated increases in algal biomass. These findings are discussed in relation to the scale dependency of such events, and the pelagic ecology of other High Nitrate Low Chlorophyll regions. 相似文献
12.
The determination of Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Cu, Co, Zn, Cd, K and Na was carried out in the mesozooplankton caught in the southern Baltic in July 1980. The species structure of mesozooplankton was characterized on the basis of mean numbers of particular components and their percentage. The chemical analyses of the samples of mesozooplankton show a wide range of values, although they were within the ranges published for zooplankton from other aquatic regions of the world. Both concentration factors and selectivity factors for Zn, Cd, Pb and Cu in the organisms analysed were calculated. The significant cross-correlation coefficients calculated for all possible pairs of metals showed the following associations: CuPbNiMnFe, MnZn and NaZn. 相似文献
13.
Chang-Rae Lee Keun-Hyung Choi Hyung-Ku Kang Eun Jin Yang Jae Hoon Noh Dong Han Choi 《Journal of Oceanography》2012,68(3):473-482
This study examined the biomass structure of autotrophic and heterotrophic plankton along a trophic gradient in the northwestern Pacific Ocean in an attempt to understand planktonic food web structure. Autotrophic biomass exceeded that of heterotrophic organisms in all sampling regions, but with lesser contribution to total planktonic biomass at stations of higher phytoplankton biomass, including the northern East China Sea, compared to the regions of lower phytoplankton biomass. The proportion of the biomass of heterotrophic bacteria, nanoflagellates (HNF), and dinoflagellates (HDF) relative to that of phytoplankton was all inversely related to phytoplankton biomass, but positive relationships were observed for both ciliates and mesozooplankton. Mesozooplankton biomass inclined greater than phytoplankton along the gradient of phytoplankton biomass, with biomass rise being most closely associated with ciliate and HDF biomass and, to a lesser degree, with large phytoplankton (>3?μm). Both bacteria and picophytoplankton were significantly and positively related to the biomass ratio of mesozooplankton to the sum of HDF and ciliates (i.e., proxy of mesozooplankton predation on protozoans), but no positive relationship was apparent either for HNF or for large phytoplankton. Such relationships may result from predation relief on lower food webs associated with mesozooplankton feeding on protistan plankton. 相似文献
14.
15.
环境因素对杭州湾中型浮游动物群落结构的控制作用 总被引:1,自引:0,他引:1
A quarterly study of mesozooplankton community structure and environmental variables in the Hangzhou Bay was conducted to examine the response of mesozooplankton community to the variation of water mass and environmental condition. The southeast coast of China is a typical region under the intensive influence of Asia monsoon and freshwater discharge from rivers. The water mass and environmental condition of the Hangzhou Bay, which were influenced by the interaction of currents, freshwater discharge of the Qiantang River and Changjiang River Plume, showed significant seasonal variation. Our results showed that both biomass and abundance were significantly higher in summer((247.7±148.8) mg/m~3 and(350.9±215.6) ind./m~3, respectively)than those in other seasons. Four eco-geographical regions were divided based on the cluster analysis of zooplankton community of the Hangzhou Bay throughout the year, except for winter. Monsoon and the dissolved inorganic nitrogen(DIN) input from freshwater discharge of the Qiantang River and Changjiang River resulted in temporal and spatial variations of environmental gradient in the Hangzhou Bay, which significantly influenced the structure of mesozooplankton community. Redundancy analysis(RDA) indicated that the mesozooplankton community structure was strictly correlated with the DIN gradient, while salinity gradient showed a weak influence in the Hangzhou Bay. 相似文献
16.
1 IntroductionMesozooplankton (0.2 ~20 mm) are hetero-trophic animals that inhabit almost every type of ma-rine environment (Goswami and Padmavati, 1996;Uye et al., 1996). They are major secondary pro-ducers, grazing on phytoplankton and providing foodfor… 相似文献
17.
Factors affecting mesozooplankton distributions in the northeastern tropical Pacific Ocean were investigated using data obtained along a meridian line (5 degrees -12 degrees N, 131.5 degrees W) in the summers of 1998, 1999, and 2003. The survey periods corresponded to a sharp transition between the 1997-1998 El Ni?o and 1998-1999 La Ni?a events, the 1999 La Ni?a event, and near-normal conditions after the moderate 2002-2003 El Ni?o in the equatorial Pacific. A strong upwelling in the divergence zone from 10.5 degrees to 11 degrees N caused a shoaling of the thermocline depth (approximately 30 m), resulting in increases in nitrate and phytoplankton chlorophyll a (chl-a) concentrations, and, in turn, mesozooplankton abundance during the La Ni?a in 1999. In contrast, in 1998, remnants of El Ni?o characteristics, deeper thermocline depth (60-150 m) and warm surface water (>28 degrees C), led to low concentrations of nitrate, chl-a and low mesozooplankton abundance, except in the convergence zone around 7 degrees N. The thermocline depth and nitrate concentration obtained during the near-normal period in 2003 corresponded to intermediate values as compared to those obtained during El Ni?o and La Ni?a conditions. Interannual changes in the position and strength of ecotones, such as divergence and convergence zones, affected mesozooplankton community structure and cyclopoid-to-calanoid ratios along the 131.5 degrees W meridian line. The clustering pattern of the mesozooplankton community was mostly characterized by calanoid (mainly Clausocalanus sp.) and cyclopoid (mainly Oncaea sp.) copepods, accounting for most of the observed differences among groups during the study period. Cyclopoids and calanoids were more abundant in 1999 than in 1998 or 2003, with a sharp increase to the north, while they were less abundant to the north in 1998 and 2003. The cyclopoid-to-calanoid ratio peaked in the convergence zone in 1998 and the divergence zones in 1999 and 2003, apparently due to the strength and location of the ecotones. Principal component analysis (PCA) with environmental factors and dominant mesozooplankton groups showed that dominant groups were affected by nitrate and chl-a concentrations in 1998, by sigma-t (water density), nitrate and chl-a concentrations in 1999, and by sigma-t, salinity and chl-a concentration (except siphonophores) in 2003. Latitudinal distribution of thermocline depth before and after the 1998/99 La Ni?a event showed a distinct interannual difference. The abundance of mesozooplankton in the divergence zone in 1999 was distinctively higher than abundances found in the convergence and divergence zones in 1998 and 2003, which resulted from the shallow thermocline depth due to an intensified upwelling during the strong 1998-1999 La Ni?a event. 相似文献
18.
We compared wintertime depth distributions of the mesozooplankton community and dominant copepods between the subtropical (S1) and subarctic (K2) Pacific Oceans to evaluate the relative importance of actively transported carbon by vertical migrants to sinking particulate organic carbon flux. Primary production was higher and the ratio of sinking particulate organic carbon flux to primary production was lower at S1 compared with those at K2. The mesozooplankton community was lower in abundance and biomass at S1 compared to K2. Copepods were the dominant group among both mesozooplankton abundance and biomass throughout the water column down to 1000 m at both sites. The depth distribution showed that diel vertical migration was obvious for the mesozooplankton abundance and biomass at S1 but was not apparent for the abundance at K2, because the dominant component was diurnally migrating species at S1 and overwintering species residing at mesopelagic depths at K2. The major components of diel migrants were copepods and euphausiids at S1 and only euphausiids at K2. Respiratory flux by the diurnally migrating mesozooplankton was estimated to be 2 mgC m−2 day−1 at S1 and 7 mgC m−2 day−1 at K2. The respiratory flux was equivalent to 131% of sedimentary fecal pellet flux at S1 and 136% of that at K2. Because pathways of downward carbon flux are facilitated by the mesozooplankton community, the actively transported carbon (respiration of dissolved inorganic carbon, excretion of dissolved organic carbon and egestion of fecal pellets at depth) might be larger during winter than the flux of sinking fecal pellets. 相似文献
19.
Mesozooplankton community structure and environmental factors were monitored monthly at a fixed station off Tongyeong, southeastern coast of Korea, from 2011 to 2014 to better understand the variability of the mesozooplankton community in relation to changes in the marine environment. Total mesozooplankton density varied from 747 to 8,945 inds. m-3 with peaks in summer. The surface water temperature (r = 0.338, p < 0.05) and chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) concentration (r = 0.505, p < 0.001) were parts of the factors that may have induced the mesozooplankton peaks in summer. Copepods accounted for 71% of total mesozooplankton. Total copepod density, particularly cyclopoid copepods, increased during the study period. Cumulative sum plots and anomalies of the cyclopoid copepod density revealed a change of the cyclopoid density from negative to positive in June 2013. A positive relationship between cyclopoid copepods and the Chl-a concentration (r = 0.327, p < 0.05) appeared to be one of the reasons for the increase in cyclopoids. Dominant mesozooplankton species such as Paracalanus parvus s.l., Oikopleura spp., Evadne tergestina, Cirripedia larvae, Corycaeus affinis, Calanus sinicus, and Oithona similis accounted for 60% of total mesozooplankton density. Based on cluster analysis of the mesozooplankton community by year, the seasonal distinction among groups was different in 2014 compared to other years. P. parvus s.l. and its copepodites contributed most in all groups in all four years. Our results suggest that the high Chl-a concentration since 2013 may have caused the changes in mesozooplankton community structure in the study area. 相似文献
20.
The influence of the phytoplankton size composition in mediating the trophic interactions between the bacteria, phytoplankton, microheterotrophs (<200 μm) and mesozooplankton (>200 μm) was investigated on three occasions in a warm temperate, temporarily open/closed estuary situated along the southern African coastline. Results of the investigation indicated that the microheterotrophs represented the most important consumers of bacteria and chlorophyll (chl)-a <5.0 μm. The low impact of the mesozooplankton on the bacteria and chl-a <5.0 μm during the study appeared to be related to the inability of the larger zooplankton to feed efficiently on small particles. During those periods when total chl-a concentration was dominated by picophytoplankton (<2.0 μm) and microphytoplankton (>20 μm), mesozooplankton were unable to feed efficiently on the chl-a due to feeding constraints. In response to the unfavorable size structure of the phytoplankton assemblages, mesozooplankton appeared to consume the microheterotrophs. The negative impact of the mesozooplankton on the microheterotrophs resulted in a decrease in the impact of these organisms on the bacteria and the chl-a <5.0 μm. This result is consistent with the predator-prey cascades. On the other hand, when the total chl-a was dominated by nanophytoplankton (2–20 μm), mesozooplankton were able to feed directly on the phytoplankton. Results of the study indicate that size structure of the phytoplankton assemblages within estuaries plays an important role in mediating the trophic interactions between the various components of the plankton food web. 相似文献