Summer Variation of Zooplankton Community on Coastal Environment of Admiralty Bay, King George Island, Antarctica

Abstract

is study aims to provide data on the abundance and distribution of zooplankton related to oceanographic parameters of the coastal environment of Admiralty Bay. In December 2009, during the XXVIII Brazilian Expedition, biological samples and physic-chemical data were obtained in four shallow areas, located in front of research stations and a reference area at Botany Point. A total of 15,882 organisms were sorted from 55 samples resulting in a total density of 3.03 organisms/100 m3. Nineteen taxa were identi ed. e most abundant holoplanktonic organism was copepods and meroplanktonic was echinoderms. e PCA analysis emphasized the importance of phosphate and dissolved oxygen for holoplankton, as nitrite and water temperature for the meroplankton during the four days of sampling.