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What are the factors leading to the success of small planktonic copepods in the Gulf of Gabes, Tunisia?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 January 2015

Thouraya Ben Ltaief ,
Zaher Drira ,
Imen Hannachi ,
Malika Bel Hassen ,
Asma Hamza ,
Marc Pagano  and
Habib Ayadi
Thouraya Ben Ltaief
Affiliation:
Faculté des Sciences de Sfax, Département des Sciences de la Vie, Université de Sfax, Unité de Recherche UR/11ES72 Biodiversité et Ecosystèmes Aquatiques, Route Soukra Km 3.5 – BP 1171 – CP 3000 Sfax, Tunisie
Zaher Drira
Affiliation:
Faculté des Sciences de Sfax, Département des Sciences de la Vie, Université de Sfax, Unité de Recherche UR/11ES72 Biodiversité et Ecosystèmes Aquatiques, Route Soukra Km 3.5 – BP 1171 – CP 3000 Sfax, Tunisie
Imen Hannachi
Affiliation:
Faculté des Sciences de Sfax, Département des Sciences de la Vie, Université de Sfax, Unité de Recherche UR/11ES72 Biodiversité et Ecosystèmes Aquatiques, Route Soukra Km 3.5 – BP 1171 – CP 3000 Sfax, Tunisie
Malika Bel Hassen
Affiliation:
Institut National des Sciences et Technologie de la Mer, 2025 Salammbô Tunis, Tunisie
Asma Hamza
Affiliation:
Institut National des Sciences et Technologie de la Mer, Centre de Sfax–BP 1035 – CP 3018
Marc Pagano*
Affiliation:
Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography, Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, Université de Toulon, IRD, MIO UM 110, 13288 Marseille, France
Habib Ayadi
Affiliation:
Faculté des Sciences de Sfax, Département des Sciences de la Vie, Université de Sfax, Unité de Recherche UR/11ES72 Biodiversité et Ecosystèmes Aquatiques, Route Soukra Km 3.5 – BP 1171 – CP 3000 Sfax, Tunisie
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: M. Pagano, Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography, Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, Université de Toulon, IRD, MIO UM 110, 13288 Marseille, France email: [email protected]
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Abstract

An oceanographic cruise conducted during June 2008 in the Gulf of Gabes revealed the existence of different water masses; the Modified Atlantic Waters (MAW) circulated in the upper 100 m in the offshore area, the Mixed Mediterranean Water (MMW) was confined to the inshore region and the Ionian Water (IW) was in deep offshore water. The thermal stratification was indicated by the vertical profiles of temperature generated from a coast-offshore section. Phosphorus limitation was induced by the thermal stratification as shown by the high N/P ratio. Heterotrophic and mixotrophic dinoflagellates were the major contributors to total phytoplankton biomass. Ciliates were less abundant and dominated by tintinnids. Small planktonic copepods (≤1.45 mm) contributed to 93.64% of total copepod abundance in the inshore area as a result of the high density of Oithona similis, Oithona nana, Clausocalanus furcatus and Euterpina acutifrons in this area characterized by warm and salty MMW. In fact, small copepods were significantly correlated to both temperature and salinity. Small copepod fraction prevailed also in the MAW contributing to 71.05% of total copepod abundance as a result of the dominance of O. nana and C. furcatus. Nonetheless, the large copepod Nannocalanus minor was more adapted to the deep IW where it contributed to 44.05% of total copepod abundance. Invasive species were encountered in the offshore region intruded by the Atlantic waters. The Atlantic copepods were scarce and less abundant reflecting the weakening of the Atlantic flow in the eastern basin of the Mediterranean.

Keywords

small copepodsdinoflagellatestintinnidsinvasive speciesModified Atlantic WatersMixed Mediterranean WaterIonian Water
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 95 , Issue 4 , June 2015 , pp. 747 - 761
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2015 

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