Seasonal dynamics of the populations of intertidal harpacticoids (Harpacticoida: Copepoda) in the White Sea

In May to October 2001, seasonal variations in the population structure of four species of intertidal harpacticoids—Paraleptastacus kliei, Huntemannia jadensis, Heterolaophonte minuta, and Stenhelia palustris—were studied at three sites in the middle intertidal zone of Chernorechenskaya Bay (White Sea) with different sediment compositions. At different sites, the changes in the harpacticoid abundance, and the times and amplitudes of the peaks were different. The features of the local dynamics of the population are determined both by the intensity of its reproduction at the reproductive habitats and by the intensity of subsequent migrations. A comparison of the data available on the seasonal dynamics of the intertidal harpacticoids at various latitudes allows one to suggest that they are mainly determined by the temperature regime.