Zooplankton of Oman Coastal Waters

Abstract

Monthly sampling during daytime was carried out in 2007-2011 at Bandar Al-Khyran (23.51oN, 58.72oE) which is the largest semi-enclosed bay on the southern end of the Sea of Oman with about 4 km2 in surface area and an average depth of 10 m. Zooplankton were represented by Copepoda (79%), Cladocera (9%), Oikopleuriddae (7%), Chaetognatha (3%), and Decapoda (~2%) comprising the major part of the total zooplankton abundance. Among copepods, 27 species constituted ~75% of total copepod abundance. Changes of copepod abundance have not had a pronounced seasonal pattern. Instead, a multiple peak structure in monthly fluctuations was observed, on the level of genera as well as the abundance of species. Amplitudes and timing of the copepod peak abundance were markedly different during the studied years