• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.41-52
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• 2010

Daily samples were collected during summer in order to analyse changes in the mesozooplankton community and to identify the major environmental factors that may influence mesozooplankton abundance in Jangmok Bay. A single site in the bay was sampled 47 times from July to September 2003. Mesozooplankton community, hydrographic (watertemperature, salinity, dissolvedoxygen) and biological (chlorophyll-a, ciliates densities, Noctiluca scintillans densities) factors were determined. The mesozooplankton abundance varied remarkably from 954 to $14,816\;inds.\;m^{-3}$. The six taxa of Evadne tergestina, barnacle nauplii and cypris, Paracalanus parvus s.1., Acartia omorii, Penilia avirostris and Sagitta crassa dominated numerically, contributing 86% of total mesozooplankton abundance. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis was applied to find correlation between environmental factors and fluctuation in the abundance of dominant species and mesozooplankton. A. omorii was significantly correlated with temperature and N. scintillans densities. E. tergestina was correlated with temperature, salinity, and ciliate densities, whereas P. avirostris was correlated with temperature and dissolved oxygen. Among the environmental factors, mesozooplankton abundance correlated most strongly with N. scintillans densities. Accordingly, N. scintillans may be a key player in controlling the fluctuation of mesozooplankton abundance as a strong competitor for same food resources.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.33 no.spc3
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• pp.337-347
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• 2011

We investigated latitudinal changes in mesozooplankton community structure during a cruise between October 16 and November 30 of 2007 from four distinctive regions in the northwestern Pacific Ocean: Warm pool area (longitude $135^{\circ}$ line), Philippine EEZ (PEEZ), Japan EEZ (JEEZ), and East China Sea (ECS). Major taxa of numerical importance were Clausocalanidae (Clausocalanus spp.), Oncaeidae (Oncaea spp.), and Oithonidae (Oithona spp.) in oligotrophic regions, however Paracalanidae (Paracalanus spp.) was the most abundant group in the ECS. Mesozooplankton size group of <1 mm dominated in PEEZ and WP (48% and 56%, respectively), but mesozooplankton (>1 mm) were of importance in the JEEZ and ECS (34% and 38%, respectively). Mesozooplankton biomass and abundance were high in the JEEZ and ECS, and low in the oligotrophic WP and PEEZ waters, with positive relationship with both total Chl-a and heterotrophic protist biomass. Latitudinal change in mesozooplankton community structure was related with water temperature, with copepods such as Lucicutia spp. and Pleuromamma spp. being present only in warm waters. The geographical expansion of mesozooplankton with a preference for warmer waters could potentially be useful as an indicator for detecting ocean warming.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.271-281
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• 2020

We investigated mesozooplankton in the Yellow Sea in spring to understand its community structure and relationship with environmental factors. Total mesozooplankton density ranged from 1,542 to 7,367 ind. m-3 and the biomass ranged from 3 to 42 mg C m-3. The total density and biomass had a positive relationship with chlorophyll-a (chl-a) concentration. The mesozooplankton community was divided into two groups at 125.5 E by cluster analysis: one was an inshore group and the other was an offshore group. The inshore group of mesozooplankton was of high density but low diversity, while the offshore group was of high diversity but low density. Copepod Acartia hongi and its copepodites were the most abundant species, comprising 27.8% of the total mesozooplankton density. A. hongi was especially abundant at the inshore, serving as the indicator species of the inshore group. Redundancy analysis found a positive relationship between the density of A. hongi and chl-a concentration. Oithona similis and Centropages abdominalis were 2nd and 3rd dominant species comprising 9 and 7% of the total density, respectively. The density of O. similis was positively related to water depth, but C. abdominalis was related to chl-a concentration. Chl-a concentration seems to influence significantly the mesozooplankton community structure in the Yellow Sea in spring, rather than water temperature or salinity.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.189-200
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• 2015

Mesozooplankton biomass including total biomass and size-fractionated biomass and the abundance of major taxonomic groups of copepods were studied in the Northwestern Subtropical Pacific Warm Pool (NSPWP) and the Northern East China Sea (NECS) from 2006 to 2014. Mesozooplankton biomass ranged from 0.69 to $3.08mgC/m^3$ (mean $1.12mgC/m^3$) in the NSPWP and from 10.60 to $69.10mgC/m^3$ (mean $30.33mgC/m^3$) in the NECS with higher values in spring than fall. Percent composition in the biomass of each size group of mesozooplankton varied interannually both in the NSPWP and in the NECS. The smallest size group (0.2~0.5 mm) contributed the least to total biomass in both regions, but significantly higher in the NSPWP than in the NECS. The percent composition in abundance of copepod taxonomic groups (i.e. Calanoida, Cyclopoida, and Poecilostomatoida) also fluctuated interannually. Mean composition of calanoid copepods was higher in the NECS than in the NSPWP, but the opposite pattern was observed for poecilostomatoid copepods. Mesozooplankton biomass both in the NSPWP and in the NECS was negatively correlated with Oceanic $Ni{\tilde{n}}o$ Index (ONI), indicating declines in biomass during El $Ni{\tilde{n}}o$ periods and vice versa during Na $Ni{\tilde{n}}a$ period. The effect of El $Ni{\tilde{n}}o$ on variation of mesozooplankton biomass was more prominent in the NSPWP than in the NECS. These results suggest that mesozooplankton biomass both in the NSPWP and in the NECS responded to El $Ni{\tilde{n}}o$ events, although the biological process that explain the reduced mesozooplankton biomass might be different in both regions.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.21-32
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• 2009

The short-term variations of the mesozooplankton community structure were investigated in Gamak Bay during summer season, 2006. The study was based on a comprehensive survey constituting from 12 stations on June 19, July 28, August 4, and August 29, respectively. Mean of temperature and chlorophyll ${\alpha}$ concentrations in the surface layer were significantly higher than those in bottom layer, and those concentrations were significantly higher in the inner bay than those in the outer bay. A total of 40 taxa including 19 copepods were observed in Gamak Bay during summer season. Mean abundance of total mesozooplankton varied from 1,859 to 26,111 indiv. $m^{-3}$. The dominant species were Noctiluca scintillans, Penilia avirostris, Evadne tergestina, Paracalanus parvus s. 1., Acartia omorii and Cirriped nauplii and cyprii in Gamak Bay, and they contributed 90% of mean abundance of total mesozooplankton. Noctiluca scintillans was high after the rainfall. Cluster analysis showed that the mesozooplankton community could be divided into 4 distinct groups, indicating rapid change of the community in the short-term of this survey. The relative contribution of each group of the N. scintillans, P. avirostris, E. tergestina, and P. parvus s. 1. showed differences during the phytoplankton bloom period. The mesozooplankton community compositions were highly associated with water temperature, and salinity in physical conditions, and food organisms affect short-term variations in mesozooplankton composition. Interestingly, protozoa N. scintillans, and Cladocera appeared to be one of the key organisms to extinguish the phytoplankton bloom. Therefore, this study suggests that N. scintillans, and Cladocera could be a key player to control the mesozooplankton community structure during summer season, 2006.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.251-263
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• 2019

We investigated the mesozooplankton community structure during autumn in the southern Yellow Sea. Mesozooplankton density generally ranged from 352 to 2,954 ind. m^-3 and varied according to different sampling stations. The copepod Paracalanus parvus s.l. and its copepodites dominated in the communities, corresponding to 57.3% in density of the total. Surface and water-column averaged salinity were positively correlated with density of total mesozooplankton, copepods and a few dominant species, and the tunicate Thalia rhomboides was negatively related to chlorophyll-a concentration. The mesozooplankton community of the study area was divided into three groups according to the cluster analysis using species composition and density: one in the northern coastal region, another in the northern offshore region, and the other in the south. The most significant indicator species for each of the groups were Labidocera euchaeta in the northern coastal region, T. rhomboides in the northern offshore region, and Themisto sp. juveniles in the south. This study provides recent data on the characteristics of the mesozooplankton community in the southern Yellow Sea, which may be valuable for gaining a better understanding of changes in the pelagic ecosystem of the Yellow Sea.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.269-277
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• 2021

We investigated mesozooplankton community in the Yellow Sea in summer immediately after the typhoon passed. Total mesozooplankton density ranged from 1,323 to 6,397 ind. m^-3 and the biomass ranged from 3 to 28 mg C m^-3 by stations. The dominant species of the research area were Paracalanus parvus s.l., Oithona atlantica, Acartia omorii, Oikopleuridae, Sagittoidae juvenile and Calanus sinicus in that order. Mesozooplankton community was divided into two groups by cluster analysis : the stations located in coastal and open seas as one group, and the stations located in the middle into another group. The number of species, density and richness of mesozooplankton were significantly lower in the middle region. Mesozooplankton density and biomass were not significantly correlated with chl-a concentrations, unlike previous studies in spring and autumn. This community characteristic in summer may be due to the passing of the typhoon, or other environmental influences.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.187-201
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to investigate the temporal and spatial variability of taxonomic groups and major species of the mesozooplankton community in Lake Shihwa, Korea. Monthly collections were carried out at five stations in Lake Shihwa for a period of one year. The mesozooplankton community showed distinct seasonal variability with water temperature and salinity. Major mesozooplankton species in each seasonal community were derived from non-metric MDS and SIMPER as follows: winter community (Acartia hongi and Eurytemora pacifica), spring community (Acartia hudsonica and Polychaeta larvae), summer community (Acartia sinjiensis, Pavocalanus crassirostris, Evadne tergestina and Cirripedia nauplii) and fall community (Paracalanus indicus and Podon leuckarti). The succession of the seasonal species, A. hudsonica and A. sinjiensis, was the most remarkable event during the seasonal changes of the mesozooplankton community. The species response curve of these species fitted with the logistic regression in relation to water temperature and salinity. The curve also correctly represented the characteristics of the occurrence of A. hudsonica and A. sinjiensis in Lake Shihwa.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.235-253
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• 2011

The annual variation of mesozooplankton community in the Jangmok harbor of Jinhae Bay was studied in relation to environmental variables. Sampling was carried out weekly from January to December 2009. During the study periods, mesozooplankton community consisted of 44 taxa and the annual mean abundance was 8308 inds. $m^{-3}$. The maximum abundance was observed to be 50043 inds. $m^{-3}$ in August and the minimum in April with 1013 inds. $m^{-3}$. Of these, Penilia avirostris, cirripedia larvae, Evadne tergestina, Acartia omorii, Oikopleura s, Paracalanus parvus s. l., Eurytemora pacifica, Podon s, Oithona s, and Acartia steueri were observed as dominant species in Jangmok bay and they also contributed to 79% of total mesozooplankton. According to non-metric multidimensional scaling (nMDS) and cluster analysis based on the mesozooplankton community data from each season, the community was divided into three groups. The first group included appearence species in winter and spring season, which is mainly dominated the copepod such as A. omorii and E. pacifica. The second and third group was composed with observed species in summer and autumn, respectively. Based on the SIMPER (similarity percentages), P. avirostris in summer and cirripedia larvae in autumn were significantly dominated. Our results indicate that although the mesozooplankton abundances in Jangmok harbor fluctuated abruptly, its annual variation was strongly influenced by water temperature.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.1-18
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• 2012

We investigated seasonal changes in the mesozooplankton community structure in November 2006 and February, May, and August 2007 at 12 stations in the semi-enclosed Muan Bay, Korea. Forty taxa were sampled, with an average abundance ranging from 1,459 to 20,078 indiv. $m^{-3}$; the highest abundance was detected in August 2007, and the lowest in February 2007. Acartia omorii, A. hudsonica, A. ohtsukai, Bestiolina coreana, Calanopia sp., Paracalanus parvus s. l., Cirripedia larvae, Decapoda larvae, and Gastropoda larvae were the most abundant taxa detected. The species diversity of the mesozooplankton was high around the inner regions in August 2007 but it was relatively low in November 2006. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (nMDS) revealed significant differences in the structure of mesozooplankton community among the seasons. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA), performed to examine the relationships among dominant taxa, stations, and environmental variables, showed that most species of copepods were positively correlated with temperature, salinity, chlorophyll a, and COD concentration. Our results suggested that the mesozooplankton community structure observed in this study might be affected partly by the seasonal changes in environmental variables, such as the status of the sluice gates (i.e., open or closed) and the in situ production of resting eggs by major copepods.