The Trophic Contributions of Rotifers in Tidal Freshwater and Estuarine Habitats

Distribution patterns and trophic contributions of rotifers from freshwater through polyhaline estuarine waters were examined in the southern Chesapeake Bay and its major tributaries for a two-year period. Trichocerca marina and Synchaeta spp. were the major taxa in abundance, followed by Polyarthra vulgaris, Keratella cochlearis and Brachionus spp. There was a significant negative correlation between salinity and rotifer density, biomass, and number of species. Rotifers were a component of the microzooplankton biomass during specific periods and at particular sites, dominating summer assemblages in tidal freshwater and river–estuary transition sites, plus the winter communities in estuarine waters. This observation indicates that rotifers may play an important trophic role by seasonally replacing metazoan nauplii as a biomass source in both tidal freshwater and estuarine ecosystems. The annual contribution of rotifers to the total microzooplankton biomass exclusive of heterotrophic dinoflagellates was brief but intensive, achieving over 50% of annual biomass during a 2–3 month period. Despite the small annual mean contribution of rotifers to the total microzooplankton biomass, rotifers may have a limited, but significant impact on the trophic dynamics of the zooplankton community in Chesapeake Bay and its major tidal tributaries.