Zooplankton in and around South African kelp forests: community structure in relation to upwelling cycle.
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Date
2024
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Publisher
University of the Western Cape
Abstract
Coastal upwelling and kelp forest ecosystems are highly productive environments. In the Benguela Upwelling System (BUS), a vast body of literature is available quantifying the upwelling process and its effects on the ecology in the region. However, very few studies investigate the effects of kelp forests combined with upwelling effects in shaping nearshore communities – especially zooplankton. This study aims to quantify the zooplankton communities in this dynamic region by testing whether the proximity to kelp and the phase in the upwelling cycle affects the zooplankton community structure. This was done by collecting samples inside and outside a kelp forest at upwelling and downwelling conditions to compare the Total Suspended Solids (TSS) and zooplankton abundances while relating these observed patterns to corresponding environmental factors. TSS was significantly higher during downwelling, as hypothesised, due to the formation of phytoplankton blooms during downwelling conditions, but TSS showed no significant difference between samples taken inside and outside the kelp forest. Zooplankton abundance was significantly higher outside the kelp forest compared to inside, regardless of upwelling or downwelling conditions, and samples were dominated by Copepoda (nauplii and adults), barnacle (Cirripedia) larvae, and Polychaeta larvae.
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Keywords
Southern Benguela Upwelling System, Zooplankton, Kelp, Phytoplankton, Trophic dynamics