Zooplankton community the continental shelf of Salvador, Bahia

Abstract

For oceanic region of the Tropical South Atlantic, research aimed at a zooplankton community, its behavior and distribution, as well as the bibliographic apparatus, are still scarce. In this context, the present study aimed to identify the composition and density of zooplankton and evaluate your spatial and temporal variability of through Salvador continental shelf. Sampling of water and zooplankton were held bimonthly between April 2013 and January 2014, in six oceanographic cruises with four sampling stations positioned between the coast and the continental slope. Throughout the study period was recorded only the presence of the mass of Tropical Water. The total density of zooplankton showed seasonal variability, but showed no spatial variability. The composition of the zooplankton community of Salvador continental shelf was characteristic of oligotrophic tropical marine environment. Abundance of holoplanktonics groups predominated over meroplanktonic. The variability in the composition was explained by the oceanographic gradient generated by the mass of water. Multivariate analysis showed a temporal and spatial variability in the density of zooplankton in relation to oceanographic variables, which shows a strong influence of a mass of tropical water, extremely oligotrophic in the zooplankton community.