LI Minghao, LI Zhixiang, ZHANG Xuzhi, LIU Chuanxia, DING Dongsheng, CUI Zhengguo, QU Keming, WANG Qingkui, WEI Yuqiu
We investigated the mechanisms linking zooplankton community structure and environmental characteristics in Jinghai Bay through two data gathering cruises conducted in May 2023 (spring) and August 2023 (summer). Redundancy analysis and Pearson correlation analysis were used to explore the date gathered. The surveys revealed a total of 38 zooplankton species belonging to ten groups, with 15 species from four groups in spring and 23 species from six groups in summer. The dominant species in spring included Eurytemora pacifica, Tortanus derjugini, and Brachyuran zoea larvae, while the dominant species in summer were Acartia pacifica, T. derjugini, and Brachyuran zoea larvae. The abundance of zooplankton in Jinghai Bay showed a significant increasing trend from spring to summer, accompanied by a notable rise in biomass. Pearson correlation analysis further revealed that the abundance, biomass, H′ index, and J index of the zooplankton community were influenced by multiple environmental factors. Specifically, in spring, phosphate, inorganic nitrogen, and water temperature were positively correlated with the abundance and biomass of most zooplankton species. In contrast, during the summer, salinity and dissolved oxygen were positively correlated with zooplankton abundance, while chlorophyll a (Chl-a), phosphate, and inorganic nitrogen were negatively correlated with abundance. In addition, salinity was positively correlated with biomass, whereas phosphate was negatively correlated with biomass. The three dominant species in the zooplankton community in the study area showed different responses to environmental factors between the two seasons. Specifically, in spring, E. pacifica, T. derjugini, and Brachyuran zoea larvae showed positive correlations with water temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, and Chl-a. In summer, however, A. pacifica showed negative correlations with Chl-a, inorganic nitrogen, and phosphate, while T. derjugini and Brachyuran zoea larva showed negative correlations with phosphate, inorganic nitrogen, and salinity. This study shows that the growth of zooplankton in Jinghai Bay is collectively influenced by environmental factors such as water temperature, with environmental stress playing a significant role in their ecological adaptations. Zooplankton are a crucial component of marine ecosystems and studying the effects of environmental stress on their communities provides valuable insights for monitoring the health status of coastal bay ecosystems.
