Study of the ecological changes of zooplankton communities in the artificial reef waters in the Xiangshan Bay

Based on the investigation data of zooplankton and the main environmental factors obtained from two cruises in the artificial reef waters of the Xiangshan Bay in July of 2011 and 2012, the study was conducted on the zooplankton community in the surveyed sea area. It turned out that total 14 categories and 36 species were identified and the species were Brachyura larvae, Calanopia thompsoni, Labidocera euchaeta and Acartia pacifica, etc. Boxplot test indicated that there was no significant difference of zooplankton biomass on reef at the two cruises, but there was more scale on reef in 2012 by comparing artificial reef waters with the contrast area. The zooplankton abundance of 2011 was greater on reef in 2012 and there was no significant otherness in the two years comparing artificial reef waters with its contrast area. The diversity and evenness were all rising after building the artificial reef. Canonical correlation analysis indicated that there was highly significant relation(r=0.962 7) between zooplankton community key parameters, which contained abundance, species, diversity index and evenness index, with depth and dissolved oxygen on reef waters.