Zooplankton Composition and Abundance in Mida Creek, Kenya

Abstract

In order to determine the resident assemblages of zooplankton in Mida Creek, Kenya, a survey was conducted from May 1996 to Apr. 1997 for which we studied their seasonal composition, abundance, and distribution. Twenty-seven major zooplankton taxa were identified. The order Copepoda was the most abundant taxon dominated mainly by the genera Acartia, Paracalanus, Labidocera, Temora, Centropages, and Calanopia. Other common zooplankton taxa included the Medusae, Ctenophora, Brachyura larvae, and Chaetognatha. The highest abundances (1961 ± 540 to 2856 ± 788 individuals/m3) were recorded during the dry season from Feb. to Mar., while the lowest ones (77 ± 21 to 352 ± 98 individuals/m3) were seen in the wet season from May to July. Vertical migration and the tidal cycle were the main factors affecting variations in diel zooplankton abundance and diversity. However, the monthly composition of the taxa varied only minimally