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Seasonal Composition Of Mesozooplankton In The Pagan River, A Nutrient Enriched Virginia Estuary, Lillian Norman Davis

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

A two year study of the mesozooplankton composition and seasonal distribution was conducted in the Pagan River, a nutrient rich tidal estuary and tributary to the lower James River. The mesozooplankton was dominated by calanoid copepods (80%), with the total zooplankton abundance peaks occurring during spring and fall. The total mean abundance, 3008/m', was somewhat lower than those found by other authors, however the mean abundance at one station approximated those means. Seventy-eight percent of the calanoid copepods were Acartia spp. that were primarily responsible for the fall increase in mesozooplankton abundance. The spring increase was primarily due to increases …