Journal article
Mesozooplankton of the lower San Francisco Estuary: spatio-temporal patterns, ENSO effects and the prevalence of non-indigenous species
Journal of plankton research, Vol.33(9), pp.1358-1377
09/2011
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/117891
Abstract
The San Francisco Estuary (SFE) is a large, highly dynamic and ecologically important estuary on the west coast of the USA. We collected zooplankton and hydrographic data over a 3-year period (1997-1999) at six stations spanning the lower SFE to investigate long-term changes through comparison with a 1980-1981 survey of the area, El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) effects and the prevalence of non-indigenous species. Spatio-temporal patterns in the zooplankton were primarily regulated by seasonal and inter-annual fluctuations in marine and riverine forcings. Non-metric multidimensional scaling accounted for 82.7% of the variation in zooplankton composition. The strongest correlates of the three axes were salinity (r
2 = 0.692), distance to marine influence and temperature (r
2 = 0.492 and 0.309, respectively) and a lagged multivariate ENSO index (r
2 = 0.299). Five zooplankton communities were identified, which showed predictable spatio-temporal progressions through the lower estuary. Inter-annual differences between El Niño and La Niña periods were substantial and appeared to be related to variable strengths of riverine and oceanic forcing. Between 1980-1981 and 1997-1999, a dramatic change occurred in the zooplankton of the lower SFE, such that dominance has shifted from native calanoid copepods to non-indigenous (Asian) cyclopoids. These changes in the zooplankton are expected to have significant but as yet unknown impacts on higher tropic levels and food web dynamics in the lower SFE.
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Details
- Title
- Mesozooplankton of the lower San Francisco Estuary: spatio-temporal patterns, ENSO effects and the prevalence of non-indigenous species
- Creators
- Stephen M Bollens - 1 School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Washington State University, 14204 Ne Salmon Creek Avenue, Vancouver, WA 98686-9600, USAJoanne K Breckenridge - 1 School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Washington State University, 14204 Ne Salmon Creek Avenue, Vancouver, WA 98686-9600, USARian C Vanden Hooff - 1 School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Washington State University, 14204 Ne Salmon Creek Avenue, Vancouver, WA 98686-9600, USAJeffery R Cordell - 2 School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, 1122 Boat Street, Box 355020, Seattle, WA 98195-5020, USA
- Publication Details
- Journal of plankton research, Vol.33(9), pp.1358-1377
- Academic Unit
- Environment, School of the (CAS)
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Identifiers
- 99900548321501842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article