Date of Award
2009
Document Type
Thesis
Publication Status
Version of Record
Submission Date
October 2026
Abstract
In estuaries, like the Indian River Lagoon, mesozooplankton have a vital role in the food web by connecting trophic levels. In this study, mesozooplankton abundance and species composition were monitored weekly on the incoming and outgoing tides from September 2006 to May 2009. For the incoming tide, the mean abundance was 2298.2 mesozooplankton/m3 (+/-325.2), and for the outgoing tide the mean abundance was 1180.0 mesozooplankton/m3 (+/-153.1). The mesozooplankton abundance on the incoming tide was significantly greater than on the outgoing tide. The most abundant type of mesozooplankton was the copepod Acartia tonsa, representing 35.0% and 52.1% of the individuals on the incoming and outgoing tides respectively. Mesozooplankton abundance values were compared with environmental data obtained from the South Florida Water Management District. The strongest positive correlation was found between chlorophyll a concentrations and A. tonsa abundance, likely due to phytoplankton being the primary food source for A. tonsa.
Extent
viii, 37 p. : ill.
Recommended Citation
Kerr, Miranda Hoover, "Monitoring seasonal and annual changes in the mesozooplankton community of the Indian River Lagoon, Florida" (2009). Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009. 1731.
https://digitalcommons.fau.edu/etd_general_5/1731
Identifier
FADT2783241
Comments
by Miranda Hoover Kerr.|Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2009.|Includes bibliography.|Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2009. Mode of access: World Wide Web.|by Miranda Hoover Kerr.