Journal of Aquatic Ecology

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The Caspian Sea ecosystem has been suffered from many problems since 1980s. Owing to the significance of zooplankton communities in marine ecosystems, the state of the fluctuations of Copepoda and Cladocera species and their relationship with Ctenophora was investigated in southern Caspian Sea.   This study were evaluated at the depths 5, 10, 20 and 50 m in the southwestern Caspian Sea between 1996 and 2013. A decline in zooplankton species was observed before 2000 and continued until 2013. Only  four  of  ten  Cladocera  species recorded  during  1996/1997  were    found  in  2013.  Of the seven Copepoda species recorded during 1996/1997, only three species of Copepoda, were recorded after 2000. The findings revealed no decrease of Acartia  tonsa detected  during  the  blooming  period  of  Mnemiopsis  leidyi  after  2001  until  2013. No negative impact of M.  leidyi was verified on the A. tonsa by comparing the annual average of A. tonsa abundance in 1996/1997, before  the  invasion  of  M.  leidyi,  and  after  the  invasion  during  2001 to 2013. The dominance of M. leidyi population had <5 mm length which feeding only microplankton as protozoa, dinoflagellates and small diatoms. Climate change, overfishing, and  pollutants  increase  might  play  important  roles  in  enhancement  of  zooplankton  population  and  loss  of  endemic  species  in  the Caspian Sea.

Keywords: Abundance, Cladocera, Copepoda, Mnemiopsis leidyi, Caspian Sea

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