Keywords
abundance
major taxa
Keamari Karachi-Backwaters
How to Cite
Abstract
A preliminary study was conducted on the occurrence and abundance of zooplankton in the Karachi backwaters. Zooplankton sampling was conducted on monthly basis and the study was carried out on the basis of three seasons including pre-monsoon (January to May), monsoon (June to September) and post-monsoon (October to December) from a permanent station Napier Mole bridge (24o50’34’’.90 N, 66o59’17’’.55 E) during June 1996 to May 1998. The hydrographic parameters including air temperature (oC), water temperature (oC), salinity (ppt), dissolved oxygen (mg/L), pH, and transparency (cm) were recorded. Total 14 groups of zooplankton were recorded; hydromedusae, copepoda, mysids, amphipoda, acetes, lucifer, chaetognath, penaeid pl, caridean pl, zoea, megalopa, squilla larvae, fish larvae, fish eggs and others. Pre-monsoon season shows highest number of individuals and copepods were found to be the dominant group in all seasons. Zooplankton diversity, equitability and margalef index were measured seasonally. Highest shannon – wiener diversity index H' = (1.83), equitability E= (0.69) and margalef species richness Index d= (1.37) were measured in post-monsoon season. Statistical analysis (ANOVA) was performed in between seasons and zooplanktonic groups. No significant difference (at P>0.05, 0.148) was observed between zooplankton and seasons.
References
Sukhanova ZN. Settling without the inverted microscope. In: Phytoplankton manual (Ed.: A. Sourina). UNESCO, Page Brothers (Nourich) Ltd., 1978; p. 97.
Madin LP, Horgan EF, Steinberg DK. Zooplankton at the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study (BATS) station: diel, seasonal and inter-annual variation in biomass, 1994–1998. Deep-Sea Res 2001; 2: 2063-2082. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0967-0645(00)00171-5
Murugan N, Murugavel P, Koderkar MS. Freshwater cladocera; Indian Associ. of Aqua. Biologists (IAAB), Hyderabad 1998; pp. 1-47.
Ahmad MS. Ecological survey of some algal flora of polluted habitats of Darbhanga. J Environ Pollut 1996; 3: 147-151.
Contreras JJ, Sarma SSS, Merino-Ibarra M, Nandini S. Seasonal changes in the rotifer (Rotifera) diversity from a tropical high altitude reservoir Valle de bravo, Mexico. J Environ Boil 2009; 30: 191-195.
Keister JE, Bonnet D, Chiba S, Johnson CL, Mackas DL, Escribano R. Zooplankton population connections, community dynamics, and climate variability. ICES J Mar Sci 2012; 69: 347-350. https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fss034
Ng PKL, Tan KS. The biodiversity of the South China Sea. Raffles Bull 2001; (Suppl. 8): 1-673.
Parsons TR, Takahashi M, Hargrave B. Biological oceanographic processes. Pergamon Press, Oxford 1984.
Garrison TS. Oceanography. An invitation to marine science. Wadsworth publication Company, Belmont, CA 1993.
Levinton JS. Marine Biology: Function, biodiversity. Ecology-Oxford University Press, Oxford 1995.
Smith S, Roman M, Prusova I, Wishner K, Gowing M, Codispoti LA, Barber R, Marra J, Flagg C. Seasonal response of zooplankton to monsoonal reversals in the Arabian Sea. Deep-Sea Res 1998; 45: 2369-2403. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0967-0645(98)00075-7
Champalbert G, Pagano M. Copepod feeding in a tuna fishing area of the tropical Atalntic Ocean. Comptesrendusbiologies 2002; 325: 171-177. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1631-0691(02)01421-X
Wrytki K. The Biology of the Indian Ocean, Physical Oceanography of the Indian Ocean, London: Chapman-Hall 1973; pp. 18-36.
Banse K. Seasonality of phytoplankton chlorophyll in the central and southern Arabian Sea. Deep-Sea Res 1987; 34: 713-723. https://doi.org/10.1016/0198-0149(87)90032-X
Brock J, Sathyendranath S, Platt T. A model study of seasonal mixed layer primary production in the Arabian Sea. Proceedings of Indian Academy of Earth and Planetary Sciences 1994; 103: 163-176.
Dwivedi RM, Raman M, Parab S, PrabhuMatonkda SG, Nayak S. Influence of northeasterly trade winds on intensity of winter bloom in the Northern Arabian Sea. Current Science 2006; 90: 1397-1406.
Ahmed M. Planktons of Karachi Coast and Their Bearing on Fishes. Agric Pakistan 1951; 2: 22-31.
Ali M, Arshad M. Preliminary Observations on the Composition of Zooplanktons along Karachi Coast. Agric Pakistan 1966; 17: 227-237.
Haq SM. Observations on the variations in planktonic copepod Undinula vulgaris (Dana 1849) from the north Arabian Sea. University Studies 1968; 5: 86-92.
Glolobov JA, Grobov AG. Summary Account on the Scientific Research Works of the Expedition in the Waters Adjacent to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan (January to December 1969), Azor-Black Sea Research Institute of Marine Fishery and Oceanography, Ministry of Fisheries of the USSR 1970; p. 166.
Fazal-ur-Rehman. Observations on the variations in planktonic copepod Tortanus foripatus (Giesbrecht, 1889) from the inshore waters of the Karachi coast, Pakistan. Crustaceana 1973b; 25: 113-118. https://doi.org/10.1163/156854073X00759
Haq SM, Fazal-ur-Rehman. A new Calanoid Copepode, Centropages Karachiensis from the Inshore Waters of the Karachi Coast, West Pakistan. Zool Med 1973; 46: 183-188.
Khan AJ. Distribution and Abundance of Fish Larvae off Coast of West Pakistan. Marine Biology 1976; 37: 305-324. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00387486
Khan MA, Kamran WM. Cymbasomatirmizii sp. nov. (Copepoda) from Manora Channel (Northern Arabian Sea). J Sci Univ Karachi 1975; 3: 55-59.
Khan MA. Seashore Distribution of bio-mass and Number of Zooplankton in Manora Channel during 1975-77. Biologia 1974; 25: 182-203.
Waqar T. Morphology and seasonal Abundance of Fish Larvae from Manora Channel, Thesis, Institute of Marine Biology, University of Karachi-Pakistan 1978.
Huda IA, Ahmad J. Zooplankton Production Trends in the Inshore waters of a Mangrove Ecosystem along the Karachi Coast. Marine Science of the Arabian Sea. Proceedings of an International Conference 1988; pp. 407-416.
Nayeem I. Occurrence and abundance of zooplankton off Manora Channel, during 1989. Proceedings of the “National Seminar on Study and Management in Costal Zones in Pakistan” 1991; pp. 131-142.
Huda IA. Zooplankton standing stock and composition in coastal waters of Arabian Sea (Sindh and Makran coast of Pakistan. Proceedings of the “National Seminar on Study and Management in Costal Zones in Pakistan” 1991; pp. 121-130.
Kazmi QB. Copepods from shore and offshore waters of Pakistan. Journal of Marine Science and Technology 2004; 12: 223-238.
Kidwai S. The Zooplankton from Eutrophic and Oligotrophic (Coastal and Deeper Waters) Marine Environment of the North Arabian with Relation to the Monsoonal Regimes and a special Reference to the Planktonic Larvae of commercially Important Species. Thesis, Centre of Excellence in Marine Biology, University of Karachi, Karachi-Pakistan 2004.
Abbasi MJ, Abbasi Z, Khokhar FN, Iqbal P, Siddiqui PJA. Distribution and abundance of major groups of zooplankton in relation to the physico-chemical parameters, in the coastal waters of Karachi, north Arabian Sea, Pakistan. International Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Studies 2016; 4: 241-249.
Abbasi MJ, Abbasi Z, Khokhar FN, Siddiqui PJA. Studies on day-night distribution, composition and abundance of copepod groups in Manora waters along Karachi coast of North Arabian sea, Pakistan. International Journal of Zoology Studies 2017; 2: 83-88.
Varadharajan D, Soundarapandian P, Dinakaran GK, Vijakumar G. Crab Fishery Resources from Arukkattuthurai to Aiyammpattinam, South East Coast of India. Curr Res J Biol Sci 2009; 1: 118-122.
Gaston KJ. Global patterns in biodiversity. Nature 2000; 405: 220-227. https://doi.org/10.1038/35012228
Tittensor DP, Mora C, Jetz W, Lotze HK, Ricard D, Berghe EV. Global patterns and predictors of marine biodiversity across taxa. Nature 2010; 466: 1098-1101. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature09329
McIntosh RP. An index of diversity and the relation of certain concepts to diversity. Ecology 1967; 48: 392-404. https://doi.org/10.2307/1932674
McNaughton SJ. Diversity and stability of ecological communities: a comment of the role of empiricism in ecology. Amer Natur 1977; 111: 515-525. https://doi.org/10.1086/283181
Tilman D. Biodiversity: population versus ecosystem stability. Ecology 1996; 77: 350-363. https://doi.org/10.2307/2265614
Wisheu IC, Keddy P. Three competing models for predicting the size of species pools: A test using Northern American wetlands. Oikos 1996; 76: 253-258. https://doi.org/10.2307/3546197
Caley MJ, Schluter D. The relationship between local and regional diversity. Ecology 1997; 78: 70-80. https://doi.org/10.1890/0012-9658(1997)078[0070:TRBLAR]2.0.CO;2
Colwell RK, Lees DC. The mid-domain effect: geometric constraints on the geography of species richness. Trends Ecol Evol 2000; 15: 70-76. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0169-5347(99)01767-X
Newell GE, Newell RC. Marine Plankton: a practical guide. London Hutchinson Education Ltd. 1977; p. 244.
Margalef R. Perspectives in ecological theory. The University of Chicago Press Chicago: 1968; p. 111.
Pielou EC. The measurement of diversity of different types of biological collections. J Theor Biol 1966; 13: 131-144. https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-5193(66)90013-0
Zar JH. Biostatistical Analysis. (2nd Ed.), Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, New York, USA 1984.
Ali QM, Ahmed Q. Abundance and diversity of major zooplankton groups during pre-monsoon season in the Port Qasim creek system – Karachi. Pakistan Journal of Marine Sciences 2015; 24: 37-51.
Ali QM, Ahmed Q. Composition of major zooplanktonic groups in Shahbunder Creek system-Indus deltaic area. Pak J Mar Sci 2013; 22: 43-59.
Wimpenny RS. The plankton of the sea. Faber and Faber LTD, London, 1966; p. 426.
Omori M, Ikeda T. Methods in Marine Zooplankton Ecology. John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1984; p. 332.
Houde E, Lovdal JD. Variability in Ichthyoplankton and microzooplankton abundances and feeding of fish larvae in Biscayne Bay, Florida. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 1982; 18: 403-419. https://doi.org/10.1016/0272-7714(84)90080-5
Sahu BK, Baliarsingh SK, Srichandan S, Sahu KC. Seasonal variation of zooplankton abundance and composition in Gopalpur creek: a tropical tidal backwater, east coast of India. J Mar Biol Ass India 2013; 55(1): 59-64. https://doi.org/10.6024/jmbai.2013.55.1.01715-10
Padmavati G, Goswami SC. Zooplankton ecology in the Mandovi-Zuari estuarine esystem of Goa, Westcoast of India. Indian J Mar Sci 1996; 25: 268-273.
Mishra S, Panigrahy RC. Zooplankton ecology of the Bahuda estuary (Orissa), east coast of India. Indian J Mar Sci 1999; 28: 297-301.
Sahu G, Mohanty AK, Singhasamanta B, Mahapatra D, Panigrahy RC, Satpathy KK, Sahu BK. Zooplankton Diversity in the Nearshore waters of Bay of Bengal, Off Rushikulya Estuary. IUP J Environ Sci 2010; 4: 61-85.
Saito H, Kiorboe T. Feeding rates in the chaetognath Sagitta elegans: effects of prey size, prey swimming behavior and small-scale turbulence. J Plankton Res 2001; 23: 1385-1398. https://doi.org/10.1093/plankt/23.12.1385
Bone Q, Kapp H, Pierrot-Bults AC. Introduction and relationships of the group. In: Bone Q, Kapp H, Pierrot-Bults AC, Eds. The biology of Chaetognaths. Oxford, Oxford University Press 1991; pp. 1-4.
Pierrot-Bults AC. Chaetognatha. In: Gasca R, Suárez E, Eds. Introducción al estudiodelzooplanctonmarino. México 1996; pp. 529-596.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.