Date

2015-10-07

Author

Öztürk, İlayda Destan

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Spatial distribution and composition of zooplankton was studied in the southern Black Sea at 46 stations in July 2013. The southern Black Sea was examined as three different study areas namely; western, central and eastern regions. Each region was also examined as inshore and offshore to determine the difference in zooplankton communities. Additionally a DNA barcoding study was also performed with samples collected from seven stations in the southern Black Sea to generate a gene library of zooplankton species of the Black Sea. A total of 19 zooplankton species were identified at species level and a further 13 species at higher taxa levels. The eastern region of the southern Black Sea displayed the lowest abundance values (average of 82,476 ind/m2) of total zooplankton compared to the central (85,008 ind/m2) and western Black Sea (average of 175,495 ind/m2). 68% of the entire zooplankton community consisted of copepods, the dominant species being Acartia clausi (65%) in terms of abundance. Copepods were followed by Noctiluca scintillans (14%) and cladocerans (7%) in terms of abundance. The total absence of N. scintillans in the eastern region was striking in July 2013. Its abundance was rather high (39,495 ind/m2) in the west decreasing towards the central southern Black Sea. Among cladoceran species Penilia avirostris was the most abundant (69%) for the entire southern Black Sea. Chaetognatha constituted 4% of the entire zooplankton community for the southern Black Sea in July 2013. In terms of biomass, the central zone exhibited the lowest fodder zooplankton values (average of 4,882 mg/m2) but the highest macro gelatinous organisms values (average of 581,329 mg/m2). Despite higher abundance values in the west, the biomass values of fodder zooplankton were quite similar in western and eastern regions of the southern Black Sea, indicating the existence of larger individuals of fodder zooplankton in the eastern zone. In this study DNA barcoding of many zooplankton species was obtained. It was found that DNA barcoding could help successful identification of 11 species of holoand mero- zooplankton species.

Subject Keywords

Southern Black Sea, zooplankton, DNA barcoding

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11511/95107

Collections

Graduate School of Marine Sciences, Thesis