Mesozooplankton biomass and abundance in Cyprus coastal waters and comparison with the Aegean Sea (eastern Mediterranean)

Hannides, Cecelia C. S.; Siokou, I.; Zervoudaki, Soultana; Frangoulis, Constantin; Lange, Manfred A.

doi:10.12681/mms.1171

Cited by 13 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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Section: Total Mesozooplanktonsupporting

confidence: 88%

“…The present abundance values for the total mesozooplankton present certain similarities with the reports of Hannides et al (2015) for the same area, though the elevated abundance in spring that was found by the latter was not recorded in the samples from this season in any of the three years. In contrast to the present investigation, where the vertical zooplankton tows were conducted in the 0-50 m depth range, the average tow depth was about 100 m in the study of Hannides et al (2015). Considering these differences in the sampling depths and that in the oligotrophic area of the eastern Mediterranean the mesozooplankton abundance decreases under the 0-50 m depth stratum (Mazzocchi et al, 1997;Ramfos et al, 2006), direct comparisons between the present study and that of Hannides et al (2015) must be taken with caution.…”

Section: Total Mesozooplanktonsupporting

confidence: 88%

“…Some of these studies provided monthly data, while the majority conducted sporadic samplings. In the only study dealing with the coastal mesozooplankton of Cyprus (Hannides et al, 2015), samplings were carried out in only two seasons, providing data on the abundance and biomass of the total zooplankton and the abundance of the major zooplanktonic groups.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Spatial and temporal distribution of mesozooplankton in the coastal waters of Cyprus (Eastern Mediterranean)

Rousou

Kehayias

Kletou³

et al. 2022

Medit. Mar. Sci.

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This study provides elements on the spatial and temporal mesozooplankton variability during a three-year study, encompassing vertical hauls from 50 m deep to the surface from four coastal locations of Cyprus. The total mesozooplankton abundance fluctuated between 190.4 and 882.5 individuals m-3. A total of 90 holoplanktonic and meroplanktonic taxa were recorded. Copepods dominated in the community and accounted for 71.7% of the total mesozooplankton, followed by appendicularians, molluscs, cladocerans, and siphonophores, which contributed 8.04%, 5.48%, 4.60%, and 3.31%, respectively. There were no statistically significant differences among the four sampling sites for any of the mesozooplanktonic taxa, though seasonal and interannual differences were recorded for several of them. The community composition reinforced the evidence for a higher resemblance of the Cyprus mesozooplankton to the offshore communities of the northern and central Levantine Sea and those around Rhodes Island, instead of the northeastern Mediterranean coastal areas. Comparisons of the seasonal abundance variation of the mesozooplankton taxa with other coastal areas of the Levantine Sea are provided. Considering the seasonality of the mesozooplankton, there was a separation of the taxa into distinct groups representing the summer, the winter-spring, and the autumn periods. The temperature was the most important variable that shaped the formation of the distinct seasonal groups of taxa, while chlorophyll-α, dissolved oxygen, and salinity contributed to a lesser extent. Chlorophyll-α concentrations verified the oligotrophic character of the area and seem to be unaffected by inland inputs. The mesozooplankton community showed a spatial consistency, probably as the result of the open sea influence, and seems to be regulated mainly by the properties of the central Levantine pelagic waters and less by terrestrial inputs of inland waters.

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Section: Total Mesozooplanktonsupporting

confidence: 88%

Section: Total Mesozooplanktonsupporting

confidence: 88%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Spatial and temporal distribution of mesozooplankton in the coastal waters of Cyprus (Eastern Mediterranean)

Rousou

Kehayias

Kletou³

et al. 2022

Medit. Mar. Sci.

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“…Water circulation around Cyprus is complex and influenced by permanent, transient and recurrent circulation features. According to Hannides et al (2015) [47], the mesozooplankton along the southern coasts of Cyprus (Amathounta, Meneou and Protaras) is primarily influenced by the eastward branch of the Mid-Mediterranean Jet, as well as by eddies and local current systems that form south of the island. In contrast, along the northwest coast of Cyprus (Latsi), the mesozooplankton is influenced by the westward-moving Asia Minor Current and associated local flow phenomena [48].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microplastics Investigation Using Zooplankton Samples from the Coasts of Cyprus (Eastern Mediterranean)

Rousou

Kehayias

Kletou

et al. 2021

Water

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The Mediterranean Sea has the highest accumulation of microplastics in the world. Although numerous studies about microplastic’s abundance and distribution have been conducted, the majority sampled surface waters. Especially for the Eastern Mediterranean, there is no information concerning the deeper strata. This study fills this gap by studying the microplastic spatial and temporal distribution along the coasts of Cyprus, utilizing zooplankton samples collected from the entire 0–50 m depth layer. The average microplastics’ abundance was 41.31 ± 22.41 items/m3 indicating that the Eastern Mediterranean seems to be much more polluted than the western basin. The fibers outnumbered the abundance of the fragments by a factor of ten. Most fibers were sized between 0.5 and 1.0 mm, and 81.24% were transparent. The average area of the fragments was ≤0.05 mm2, and most of them were hard-rounded (53.38%). The microplastics to zooplankton ratio ranged between 0.021 and 0.241. A positive correlation was found between the abundance of microplastics and the total zooplankton, especially the copepods. Studies of microplastics in zooplankton samples taken from the water column are expected to provide better insights into the role of these pollutants in marine ecosystems.

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“…In its eastern part, the Levantine Sea's ultra-oligotrophic nature limits productivity even further [2][3][4]. In such oligotrophic environments, highly diverse fouling communities are of extreme importance in the transfer of energy from primary production to higher biological levels [5].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fouling Communities of Two Accidental Artificial Reefs (Modern Shipwrecks) in Cyprus (Levantine Sea)

Jiménez

Hadjioannou²,

Petrou³

et al. 2016

Water

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Abstract:Artificial reefs are considered one of the alternative methods in fisheries management, used in order to enhance stocks and marine biodiversity in general. A number of biotic and abiotic parameters influence the fouling communities' formation on artificial reefs through complex interactions. In order to understand how epibiotic or fouling communities progress through time, it is important to study these communities in mature artificial reefs, especially those that have been around for many decades, or in some cases, millennia. This study was conducted on the coral and other fouling organisms of two accidental artificial reefs (40 to 70 year-old shipwrecks) in Cyprus (Levantine Sea). The thermal and nutrient annual regime of the study sites were characterized by processing satellite data. The results indicate that the wrecks are normally under warm and oligotrophic conditions. Percentage coverage of corals and other organisms on the wrecks was calculated (image-analysis software) on photos taken in 2010 (two wrecks) and again in 2016 (one wreck) of the fouling communities. Sponges were the organisms with the highest percent cover (~27%) at the two wrecks. Four scleractinian coral species were found (7%-19% total coral cover). The oldest wreck, which has well-developed coral communities, was revisited during fieldwork in a near-by area in 2016. Only two major benthic categories (dead coral and macro algae) changed significantly between sampling periods. Given the actual policies to sink wrecks to create artificial reefs and the diverse environmental conditions in different areas that will inevitably influence fouling, it is important to carry out studies relating to mature artificial reefs/wrecks in order to be able to assess the ecological effectiveness of longstanding artificial reefs.

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Mesozooplankton biomass and abundance in Cyprus coastal waters and comparison with the Aegean Sea (eastern Mediterranean)

Cited by 13 publications

References 46 publications

Spatial and temporal distribution of mesozooplankton in the coastal waters of Cyprus (Eastern Mediterranean)

Spatial and temporal distribution of mesozooplankton in the coastal waters of Cyprus (Eastern Mediterranean)

Microplastics Investigation Using Zooplankton Samples from the Coasts of Cyprus (Eastern Mediterranean)

Fouling Communities of Two Accidental Artificial Reefs (Modern Shipwrecks) in Cyprus (Levantine Sea)

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