Distribution and Grazing of Dominant Zooplankton Species in the Ob Estuary: Influence of the Runoff Regime

Major interactions between terrestrial and marine environments in the Kara Sea occur within the estuaries of the largest Siberian rivers, the Ob and Yenisei. Mesozooplankton community plays an important role in the transformation of allochthonous organic matter. All published data on zooplankton activity in the Ob Estuary have been obtained for the period of decreased river discharge. The aim of our study was to assess zooplankton distribution and grazing under various hydrological regimes (high-low river discharge and varying wind direction) in order to better understand the mechanisms governing this process. The study was carried out along a quasi-latitudinal transect in the Ob Estuary at the beginning of August (high discharge) and end of September 2010 (decreased discharge) and end of August 2014 (high discharge and onshore winds). Zooplankton grazing was assessed with the gut fluorescent approach. Under high river discharge, zooplankton biomass was low (mean 98 mg wet weight m^?3), peaks of species abundance were spatially separated, and grazing did not exceed 2% of phytoplankton biomass. Weakening river discharge at the end of September led to the formation of hydrographic fronts, and zooplankton biomass was an order of magnitude higher (mean value 947 mg wet weight m^?3) with dense local aggregations with biomass reaching 3600 mg wet weight m^?3. These aggregations formed a pelagic “biofilter” grazing up to 26% of phytoplankton biomass per day. The peaks of abundance of the majority of species coincided at the pronounced hydrographic front forming dense local aggregations with biomass reaching 3600 mg wet weight m^?3. These aggregations formed a pelagic biofilter utilizing daily up to 26% of phytoplankton biomass.