Effects of environmental changes on total length of three Copepod species on Gorgona island (Colombia) between 2013-2022
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15517/pvx7p780Keywords:
body size; ENSO; global warming; zooplanktonAbstract
Introduction: Copepods are influenced by various climatic and oceanographic changes, including global warming, which increases the frequency of the warm phase of ENSO and contributes to reductions in their mean population body size. Objectives: This study evaluates the effects of temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen concentration—measured at standard depths—on the mean total length of three copepod species: Ditrichocorycaeus andrewsi, Centropages furcatus and Subeucalanus pileatus, within the pelagic environment of Gorgona Island over a nine-year period. Methods: Each year, 25 healthy female and male specimens per copepod species were selected during the cold-water season from 2013 to 2022. Vertical variability in temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen was analyzed. A mixed linear model was used to assess the independent effects of mean total length by sex, species, and year, while Spearman correlation confirmed associations with environmental variables. ANOVA followed by Tukey's test identified significant differences in total length among years for each species. Results: A weak positive correlation was detected between temperature and the total length of the three studied species. A linear mixed model confirmed a significant species-sex-year interaction effect. D. andrewsi and S. pileatus exhibited smaller sizes during warm periods, while C. furcatus displayed considerable variation with no clear association to thermal conditions. Conclusions: This study establishes a baseline for future research on the effects of climate change on copepod body size in the Colombian Pacific and the Eastern Tropical Pacific, and offers valuable insight into how interannual climatic variability shapes copepod populations in tropical environments, contributing to a broader understanding of climate change impacts on marine ecosystems.
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