Zooplankton community in Paracas Bay (13°47’48”) and surroundings

Aronés, K.1 y Ayón, P.1

1 Dirección General de Investigaciones Oceanográficas - IMARPE

Introduction
In order to characterize the zooplankton community in Paracas Bay and surroundings, five surveys were carried out from 2013 to 2015 in the bay and its
adjacent areas. A total of 68 zooplankton samples were collected. The sampling was done with a Baby Bongo net operated in oblique hauls from 2 m
depth up to the surface.
36
C
Material and Methods 13.65°S
37

38
35 D 33

41 24
31

26
29

28 RIO
PISCO

A zoning was carried out by grouping the stations into 5

zones, in relation to the dynamics of circulation inside 13.7°S
E
46 54 62
and around the bay (Fig. 2): A) Inside bay, B) Southern 15 16 17 18 SAN

PERÚ 53 ANDRES
ISLAS
BALLESTAS

coastal Zone, C) Northern Coastal Zone, D) Northern 13.75°S

52 56 14
B CONSORCIO
TERMINALES

48 59 9 10 11
Zone far from the coast and E) South Zone away from
PLAYA
50 L LOBERIA

B ZONA INDUSTRIAL

the Coast. We used non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis 13.8°S TALPO PTO. SAN

MARTIN
7
A 6 PESQUERA

4
method to determine spatial variability and/or CALETA
PLAYA
ATENAS
A 3
5 LA PUNTILLA

EL CHACO

temporary of biovolumens and abundances. When we

EL VIEJO C
ISLA
SANGAYAN 2
1
13.85°S SANTO

detected differences significant, the Tukey-Kramer

DOMINGO

76.45°W 76.4°W 76.35°W 76.3°W 76.25°W 76.2°W

(Nemenyi) post hoc test was performed. Fig 2. Zoning of the sampled area in Paracas bay
Fig 1. Study area and surroundings between 2013 and 2015.

Results and discussion

The highest bio-volumes were recorded inside the bay with a range between 6.5 mL.100m-3 and 448.6 mL.100m -3 , a mean of 107.7 mL.100m-3 and a
median of 105.8 mL. 100m-3. The highest abundances were also recorded inside the bay with values between 8,009 ind. 100m-3 and 4,746 504 ind.
100m-3 , a mean of 1 906 848 ind. 100m-3 and a median of 1 641 490 ind. 100m-3. Biovolumes and zooplankton abundances showed significant
differences by periods and seasonally, but not by zones. Copepods were the most frequent and abundant group, with Acartia sp. as the dominant
species. 28 groups of zooplankton was determined, 20 genus and 37 species. At the specific level, significant spatial differences were determined
(Kruskal-Wallis Χ2 = 19.7, gl = 4, p <0.001), zone D quite different from zones A, B and C (p< 0.01, Tukey-Kramer test ( Nemenyi)). Likewise, significant
differences were determined between the different sampling periods (Kruskal-Wallis Χ2 = 40.1, gl = 4, p <0.001).

Biovolumes (mL.100 m-3)

µ= 107,7 µ= 59,5
Biovolumes (mL.100m-3)

A µ= 57,9 A A
Biovolumes (mL.100m-3)

µ= 97,7 µ= 95,7
µ= 65,8
µ= 34,8 µ= 36,0

µ= 20,1 µ= 67,7

B
Abundance (mL.100 m-3)

B B
Abundance (mL.100m-3)
Abundance (ind.100m-3)

µ= 1,9+06 µ= 2 421 643

µ= 1,4+06 µ= 2 214 927

µ= 1 490 869 µ= 2 448 013

µ= 2,6+06 µ= 1 236 185

µ= 3,9+05
µ= 2,4+05

Zone
Apr-13 Oct-13 Nov-14 Mar-15 Jul-15 Spring Summer Fall Winter
Zone Periods Season

Figure 3. Box plot of A) Zooplankton biovolumes (Kruskal-Wallis Χ2 = Figure 4. Box plot of A) Zooplankton biovolumes B) Zooplankton Figure 5. Box plot of A) Zooplankton biovolumes
8.1, g.l=4, p>0.05). B) Zooplankton abundance (Kruskal-Wallis Χ2 = 13.9, abundance by periods (Kruskal-Wallis Χ2 = 30.7, g.l = 4, p <0.001) and (Kruskal-Wallis Χ2 = 26.1, g.l=3, p<0.001). B) Zooplankton
gl= 4, p>0.005) by zones, and season. Median is indicated as a abundances (Kruskal-Wallis Χ2 = 17.8, gl = 4, p <0.001), and season. abundance by season (Kruskal-Wallis Χ2 = 13.3, gl = 3, p
horizontal line inside the box. The dots represent the outliers. The <0.005).
red dots are the means. B) Zooplankton abundance by zones.

Conclusions Apr-13 Oct-13 Nov-14 Mar-15 Jul-15

A
Biovolumes (mL.100m-3)
Abundance (mL.100m-3)
0 1000000 2500000

• The intern zone of Paracas Bay (Zone A) is

characterized by presenting greater
biovolumes of zooplankton than the other A B C B C D E A B C
Zone
B C A B C
zones. On the other hand, the highest bio- B
Abundance (Ind.100m-3)

volumes and abundances were found in the Figure 6. Box plot of Acartia sp. abundance. Median is indicated as a
horizontal line inside the box. The dots represent the outliers.
autumn season, and the lowest, in summer.
• Copepods were the group with the highest abundances and frequencies, with Acartia sp being the
dominant species. However, as we observed in the community analysis, when this species decreases
Ferrol Samanco Miraflores Paracas
their abundance associated with low salinities , other species such as Hemicyclops sp. increase their Bay
abundances. Figure 7. Box plot of A) Zooplankton biovolumes B)
• When comparing Paracas, Ferrol, Miraflores and Samanco bays, it is observed that Paracas has Zooplankton abundance by bays
significantly higher biovolumes and abundances than Samanco, and statistically similar to those of Acknowledgements
This publication was carried out with the support of
Ferrol and Miraflores. Coastal Laboratories?? -IMARPE