Abstract

ALVAREZ-CADENA, José N et al. Annual study of zooplankton: composition, abundance, biomass and hydrology from the north of Quintana Roo, Mexican Caribbean Sea. Rev. Mex. Biodiv. [online]. 2007, vol.78, n.2, pp.421-430. ISSN 2007-8706.

Zooplankton sampling was carried out in the northern coast of the Mexican Caribbean Sea, from Puerto Morelos to Cancun. Captures were made with a conic net 0.4m diameter, 1.40m length and 0.330 mm mesh from January to December 2004 at twelve locations. A total of 41 zooplankton groups were identified. Copepods were the most abundant taxa making up 61%, followed by echinoderms (17%) and decapods (5%). Acartia tonsa at the Nichupte Lagoon System (SLN) over numbered the copepod fauna and occasionally the whole zooplankton population. Along the coast Acartia spinata, Pseudocalanus sp, and Calanopia americana were the most important copepods. Echinoderms larvae such as echinopluteus-ophiopluteus were present at all sampled stations but were more abundant at the NLS. For chaetognaths, Ferosagitta hispida dominated, the species was the most abundant and in fact the only species found within the NLS. Decapod larvae were mainly represented by zoea larvae (brachiura). Fish larvae were made up by 54 families, from those, Gobids of the genera Ctenogobius sp., Gobionellus sp. and Gobiosoma sp. were the most abundant, particularly for SLN. Biomass was higher at stations located within the SLN.

Keywords : zooplankton; Mexican Caribbean Sea.