Monsoonal and spatial influence on zooplankton variation in a tropical bay, North Borneo, Malaysia

Santha Devi Muthurajah and Sandric Chee Yew Leong and Victor S. Kuwahara and Pak Yan Moh and Othman Haji Ross and Teruaki Yoshida (2021) Monsoonal and spatial influence on zooplankton variation in a tropical bay, North Borneo, Malaysia. Regional Studies in Marine Science, 47. pp. 1-15. ISSN 2352-4855

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Abstract

The tropical climate is seemingly stable with little variation in environmental factors throughout the year. However, a growing number of studies have reported monsoon-driven changes in zooplankton communities in tropical waters. This study examined the monsoonal and spatial variation in the zooplankton community in Sepanggar Bay, Malaysia. Samples were collected from 9 stations throughout the bay in June and October 2017, March and June 2018, coinciding with the southwest monsoon (SWM), northeast monsoon (NEM) and the intermonsoon periods (INTER). Significant seasonal difference was observed for the measured hydrographic parameters (chlorophyll-a, salinity, temperature) with highest values recorded during INTER for chlorophyll-a, NEM for salinity, and SWM 2 for temperature. Throughout the study, 110 zooplankton taxa were identified, and copepods dominated total zooplankton abundance by 70%. Zooplankton abundance increased from 17925 ± 8616 inds. m−3 during SWM 1 to peak at 47628 ± 55488 inds. m−3 during INTER and reached a minimum of (16136 ± 22334 inds. m−3 during NEM. Zooplankton abundances were relatively higher at nearshore stations compared with offshore stations, but was not statistically significant. Four distinct assemblages were obtained from Hierarchical Cluster analysis (HCA), suggesting the influence of monsoon in shaping the zooplankton community. The dominant zooplankton shifted from copepods during SWM1, INTER, and NEM, to tintinnids during SWM 2. Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) revealed temperature and salinity to be strongly associated with zooplankton community, indicating seasonal variations in these environmental factors driven by monsoon which influenced the zooplankton community structure in the bay. Distinct shifts in the zooplankton composition and abundance relative to the monsoon seasons provide new insights into the seasonal sensitivity of zooplankton in tropical coastal ecosystems.

Item Type:	Article
Keyword:	Zooplankton abundance and composition , Monsoonal variation , Spatial and temporal distribution , Tropical bay , South China Sea
Subjects:	Q Science > QC Physics > QC1-999 Physics > QC851-999 Meteorology. Climatology Including the earth's atmosphere > QC980-999 Climatology and weather Q Science > QL Zoology > QL1-991 Zoology
Department:	FACULTY > Faculty of Science and Natural Resources
Depositing User:	DG MASNIAH AHMAD -
Date Deposited:	23 Nov 2021 08:33
Last Modified:	23 Nov 2021 08:33
URI:	https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/31081

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