Marine Biology

, Volume 105, Issue 1, pp 73–82 | Cite as

Zooplankton abundance and grazing at Davies Reef, Great Barrier Reef, Australia

  • M. R. Roman
  • M. J. Furnas
  • M. M. Mullin
Article
Accepted:

Abstract

Zooplankton abundance and grazing on autotrophic and heterotrophic particulate matter were measured along a transect across Davis Reef (18°5′S; 147°39′E) and in the back-reef lagoon over tidal and diel cycles during austral winter (August 1984). Zooplankton entering the reef from the surrounding shelf waters decreased in abundance over the reef flat, presumably because of predation. Within the reef lagoon, maximum daytime densities of pelagic copepods occurred during high water, suggesting an external input. At night, water-column zooplankton biomass increased by a factor of 2 to 3 due to the emergence of demersal reef zooplankton. Zooplankton grazing rates on heterotrophic particulate matter (bacteria + detritus and Protozoa) compared to phytoplankton were higher on the reef flat than on the fore-reef or lagoon. Within the lagoon, zooplankton grazing rates on heterotrophic material were maximum during high water, coincident with maximum tidal concentrations of particulate organic carbon. The combined demersal and pelagic zooplankton community were often able to crop 30% of the daily primary production by >2µm phytoplankton. However, >50% of phytoplankton biomass was in cells <2µm, presumably unavailable to these zooplankton. Our particulate production and ingestion measurements, together with zooplankton carbon demand extrapolated from respiration estimates, suggest that the zooplankton community of Davies Reef derives much of its nutrition from detritus.

Keywords

Phytoplankton Detritus Particulate Organic Carbon Great Barrier Reef Zooplankton Community 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag 1990

Authors and Affiliations

  • M. R. Roman
    • 1
  • M. J. Furnas
    • 2
  • M. M. Mullin
    • 3
  1. 1.Horn Point LaboratoriesUniversity of MarylandCambridgeUSA
  2. 2.Australian Institute of Marine ScienceTownsvilleAustralia
  3. 3.Institute of Marine Resources, A-018, Scripps Institution of OceanographyUniversity of California at San DiegoLa JollaUSA

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