Published in Scientific Papers. Series D. Animal Science, Vol. LXIII, Issue 2
Written by Mihaela MURESAN, Tatiana BEGUN, Adrian TEACA
Based on 53 vertical samples collected in May, August and October 2019 in the waters of the Romanian Black Sea shelf, we assessed the seasonal dynamic of abundances and diversity of zooplankton within the surface and certain depths layers of the pelagic system. Along with the control exerted on the primary production as main grazers, zooplankton species constitute a significant part of most commercially exploited pelagic fish diet (e.g. anchovy, sprat, horse mackerel juveniles). As result of increased global and regional climatic variability, we detected a seasonal shift in the occurrence of key copepod species as well as significant fluctuations in abundances of total fodder zooplankton. In May 2019, the sudden warming of water column led to proliferation of Noctiluca scintillans and therefore, to reduction of fodder zooplankton stocks. With the changing of thermal regime, a rapid shift of zooplankton composition was detected in August comparative with October, mainly seen in explosive development of thermophilic copepod Centropages ponticus in summer and of eurythermic species Paracalanus parvus in early autumn.
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