Diversidad y abundancia diaria y estacional del zooplancton marino de la Isla del Caño, Costa Rica

Abstract

The plankton community at Caño Island might be a mixture between neritic and oceanic plankton, due to its proximity to the mainland sorne of its fauna could be associated to the surrounding reefs. The total zooplankton (indiv./m3 ) and copepods/tn3 show a relationship with local rainfall; with a peak of abundance during the dry season and a decrease toward the rainy season. Copepods are the dominant group (41-63%). Other groups present values below 10%in abundance lfish larvae, ostracods ana mysids were the most important). The number of taxa is higher during the dry season.