Temporal Variation of the Pelagic Copepod Community in Acapulco Bay, México

Between September 2009 and April 2010, superficial samples of plankton were collected in Acapulco Bay, using 150-μm mesh net, with the objective of studying the temporal variation in the abundance, species composition of the copepod community, and their relationship with some environmental parameters. Twenty-nine species of four orders were identified: 11 of Calanoida, 4 of Cyclopoida, 3 of Harpacticoida and 11 of Poecilostomatoida. A multivariate analysis (PCA) used to detect association between the abundance of copepod populations, and the environmental conditions through time, indicates a marked effect of the temperature and salinity parameters, on the abundance of the four copepod groups. The calanoids dominated numerically during most of the sampling months. The more important copepods genus were Corycaeus (7 species), andOithona (4 species). Nevertheless that the abundance of all copepod groups was affected temporarily by variations in the environmental conditions, the species composition inside the copepods community remained very stable.