Interactions between environmental factors and the mesozooplankton community from the Romanian Black Sea waters

Abstract

: The aim of the study was to trace the influence of several abiotic factors on the distribution of the mesozooplankton community from the Black Sea. Sampling was performed in cold and warm seasons of 2013–2020, from stations located on the three sectors of the Romanian Black Sea coast (northern-N, central-C, and southern-S). After determining the species composition, abundance, and biomass, the results were subjected to statistical analysis. A total of 25 taxa were identified, Copepoda representing the bulk of the community. The analysis of the main components explains, through the first two identified factors—temperature and salinity, the variation of environmental factors. The mesozooplanktonic community responded differently to the analysed environmental factors, recording positive and negative correlations, depending on the water column’s depth; a positive correlation was observed between mesozooplank-ton and temperature while negative correlations were observed between nutrients (silicon) and mesozooplankton.