Abstract:

The copepod fauna in Samsun coastal region of the Black Sea was investigated between January 2008 and December 2008. Species composition and abundance as well as physichochemical factors which may influence on them were determined in the samples monthly collected at five stations in the research area. A Bray-Curtis similarity matrix was created from the copepod abundance data and the analyses of agglomerative hierrarchical cluster analysis and multi-dimensional scaling were performed using similarity matrix. A total of 10 species; including seven species Calanus euxinus Hulsemann, 1991; Paracalanus parvus (Claus 1863); Centropagaes ponticus Karavaev, 1894; Calanipedia aquaedulcis (Kritchagin, 1873); Acanthodiaptomus denticornis (Wierzjski 1857); Acartia (Acartiura) clausi Giesbrecht, 1889; Pseudocalanus elongatus(Boeck 1965) belonging to Calanoida, one species Oithona similis (Claus 1863) belonging to Cyclopoida and two species (Euterpina acutifrons Dana, 1852; Canuella perplexa T. and A. Scott, 1893) belonging to Harpacticoida were identified in the copepod community. The maximum abundance was observed in December 2008. The minimum abundances were, however, recorded in July and March 2008. Correlation coefficients between the physico-chemical parameters (temperature, Secchi disc, pH, electrical conductivity, TDS (Total dissolved substance), NH3-N, PO4, SiO2) and the abundance of the copepod species were calculated together with the significance levels.

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