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Mesozooplankton assemblages and their relationship with environmental variables: a study case in a disturbed bay (Beagle Channel, Argentina)

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Abstract

This study focused on the seasonal and spatial analysis of the mesozooplankton community in a human-impacted subantarctic bay in Argentina and aimed to detect assemblages associated with environmental variability. Mesozooplankton samples and environmental data were obtained in the Ushuaia Bay (UB) seasonally, from August 2004 to June 2005, and spatially, from coastal (more polluted), middle (less influenced) and open sea water (free polluted) sampling stations. Remarkable seasonal changes on the mesozooplankton community were observed. Nitrogenated nutrients, chlorophyll a, salinity and temperature were the prevailing environmental conditions likely associated with the different mesozooplankton assemblages found in the bay. The copepods Eurytemora americana, Acartia tonsa, Podon leuckarti and Nematoda were particularly observed on the northwest coast of the bay, characterized by the highest level of urban pollution, eutrophicated by sewage and freshwater inputs from the Encerrada Bay which is connected to it. The stations situated in the northeast area, mostly influenced by freshwater input from rivers and glacier melting, showed low mesozooplankton abundances and an important contribution of adventitious plankton. The copepods Ctenocalanus citer, Clausocalanus brevipes and Drepanopus forcipatus were mostly observed at the stations located near the Beagle Channel, characterized by open sea and free polluted waters. Our findings suggest that the variations observed in the mesozooplankton assemblages in the UB seem to be modulated by environmental variables associated with the anthropogenic influence, clearly detected on the coast of the bay. Certain opportunistic species such as A. tonsa and E. americana could be postulated as potential bioindicators of water quality in subantarctic coastal ecosystems.

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Acknowledgments

Funds were provided by FONCYT-ANPCyT (PICTR090/2002). We are grateful to (i) the staff of the Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas (CADIC-CONICET), (ii) the staff of the Centro Nacional Patagónico (CENPAT-CONICET) especially to Dr. M. N. Gil and Dr. J. L Esteves and (iii) to Dr. Erika Giarratano and Dr. Américo I. Torres for their collaboration and support during the sampling period. We are also grateful for the assistance of the research staff at the Deutsches Zentrum für Marine Biodiversitätsforschung, particularly the help of Dr. Grittae Veit-Köhler in determining the different harpacticoid species.

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  1. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía (IADO), La Carrindanga Km. 7.5, B8000FWB, Bahía Blanca, Argentina

    Florencia Biancalana, M. Sofía Dutto, Anabela A. Berasategui, Germán Kopprio & Mónica S. Hoffmeyer

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  1. Florencia Biancalana
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  2. M. Sofía Dutto
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  3. Anabela A. Berasategui
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  5. Mónica S. Hoffmeyer
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Correspondence to Florencia Biancalana.

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Biancalana, F., Dutto, M.S., Berasategui, A.A. et al. Mesozooplankton assemblages and their relationship with environmental variables: a study case in a disturbed bay (Beagle Channel, Argentina). Environ Monit Assess 186, 8629–8647 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-014-4032-y

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