Actividad de pastoreo por las especies de los géneros Oikopleura y Eucalanus en la ensenada de Gaira, Mar Caribe Colombiano
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Rodríguez, Deisy | 2005-01
The appendicularian Oikopleura spp. (gelatinous zo- oplankton) and the copepod Eucalanus spp. (chitinous zooplankton) grazing activity was estimated as an approximation of the trophic flux between the phytoplankton and herbivoruos zooplankton community associated to the mixing layer off the Qaira inlet, colombian central Caribbean sea. We defined a permanent station westward the inlet, where we carried out three samples between august - october 2004. Water tempe- rature, salinity and pH were considered to describe the physical and Chemical environment. High chlorophyll a concentrations were obtained in the water column, indicating high food availability. However, only a sma- II fraction was ingested at both groups, generating a low grazing ranged between l,4 x l0 3% and 41,9xl0'3% at Oikopleura spp. and 0,9xl03% and 76,1x10 3% at Eucalanus spp. These results are product of the high phytoplankton supply, as well as the zooplankton density and the food selectivity, principally from the gelatinuos organisms. In this way, we concluded the grazing activity over the phytoplankton community is low, generating a high supply of autotrophic organic material susceptible to be consumed by another herbivorous and/or sinking on the shallow bottom.
LEER