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Seasonal variations in abundance, biomass and grazing rates of microzooplankton in a tropical monsoonal estuary

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Abstract

Seasonal abundance, composition and grazing rates of microzooplankton (20–200 µm) in the Zuari estuary were investigated to evaluate their importance in food web dynamics of a tropical monsoonal estuary. Average abundances of microzooplankton (organisms × 104 l−1) during the three seasons were 0.44 (southwest monsoon), 1.13 (post-monsoon) and 0.96 (pre-monsoon). Protozoan (ciliates, heterotrophic dinoflagellates and sarcodines) accounted for most (96 %) of the microzooplankton community, with micrometazoan (nauplii and copepodid stages of copepods, fish eggs, etc.). being far less abundant. Among protozoans, ciliates (loricates and aloricates) were most numerous (69 % of the total microzooplankton). Statistically significant (p < 0.001) co-variations of microzooplankton with other biological parameters such as chlorophyll a and bacterial biomass were observed. Salinity influenced microzooplankton distribution, with an optimum range of 15–20. Microzooplankton formed a large organic carbon pool, accounting for 24–40 % of the total carbon in the living matter. Seasonally averaged microzooplankton biomasses were 22.3, 36.1 and 24.6 mmol C m−3, respectively, during the southwest monsoon, post-monsoon and pre-monsoon periods, and were largely supported by non-living particulate carbon (detritus) particularly during the non-monsoon seasons. Experimental studies revealed significant microzooplankton grazing on phytoplankton standing stock, mainly (>60 %) by the pico and nano fraction (<20 µm) for most of the year. Phytoplankton growth rates (day−1) ranged between 0.69 and 1.24. Microzooplankton grazing was estimated to consume 30–82 % of the phytoplankton standing stock, and 58–97 % of the daily primary production. Results of the present study highlight the role of the microzooplankton as an important consumer of phytoplankton production.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Director-CSIR, NIO for the encouragement and facilities. Survey work was carried out as a part of Ph D. thesis (under the Indian-JGOFS programme), and experimental studies were carried out under the programmes NWP 0014 and PSC0108. This is NIO’s contribution no. 5748.

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  1. CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, 403 004, Goa, India

    Mangesh Gauns, Anil Pratihary, S. W. A. Naqvi & M. Madhupratap

  2. Directorate of Fisheries, Govt. of Goa, Dayanand Bandokar Marg, Panaji, Goa, India

    Sunita Mochemadkar

  3. Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy

    Shrikant Patil

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  1. Mangesh Gauns
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  2. Sunita Mochemadkar
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  6. M. Madhupratap
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Correspondence to Mangesh Gauns.

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Gauns, M., Mochemadkar, S., Patil, S. et al. Seasonal variations in abundance, biomass and grazing rates of microzooplankton in a tropical monsoonal estuary. J Oceanogr 71, 345–359 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10872-015-0292-6

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