Faecal pellet production of copepoda collected in water depth up to 30 meters in the eastern Mediterranean Sea in Oktober 2008 during SES_GR2

Mesozooplankton is collected by vertical tows within the Black sea water body mass layer in the NE Aegean, using a WP-2 200 µm net equipped with a large non-filtering cod-end (10 l). Macrozooplankton organisms are removed using a 2000 µm net. A few unsorted animals (approximately 100) are placed inside several glass beaker of 250 ml filled with GF/F or 0.2 µm Nucleopore filtered seawater and with a 100 µm net placed 1 cm above the beaker bottom. Beakers are then placed in an incubator at natural light and maintaining the in situ temperature. After 1 hour pellets are separated from animals and placed in separated flasks and preserved with formalin. Pellets are counted and measured using an inverted microscope. Animals are scanned and counted using an image analysis system. Carbon- Specific faecal pellet production is calculated from a) faecal pellet production, b) individual carbon: Animals are scanned and their body area is measured using an image analysis system. Body volume is then calculated as an ellipsoid using the major and minor axis of an ellipse of same area as the body. Individual carbon is calculated from a carbon- total body volume of organisms (relationship obtained for the Mediterranean Sea by Alcaraz et al. (2003) divided by the total number of individuals scanned and c) faecal pellet carbon: Faecal pellet length and width is measured using an inverted microscope. Faecal pellet volume is calculated from length and width assuming cylindrical shape. Conversion of faecal pellet volume to carbon is done using values obtained in the Mediterranean from: a) faecal pellet density 1,29 g cm**3 (or pg µm**3) from Komar et al. (1981); b) faecal pellet DW/WW=0,23 from Elder and Fowler (1977) and c) faecal pellet C%DW=25,5 Marty et al. (1994).

Zooplankton biovolume time series at station STARESO (Bay of Calvi, Corsica)

A long-term time series of subsurface zooplankton is performed in the oligotrophic Bay of Calvi (Corsica, Ligurian Sea, NW Mediterranean) from 2003 onwards. It is carried out from the marine station STARESO and is based on weekly measurement of zooplankton biovolumes. The main objectives are (i) to determine the seasonal cycle and inter-annual variability of the organisms, (ii) to study the dynamics of the populations, and (iii) to understand zooplankton interactions with other co-sampled hydrographic, meteorological and phytoplankton variables at the site.

Abundance and biomass of zooplankton from 1981-1985 collected in front of Constanta city, Black Sea

The Est Constanta 1981-1985 dataset contains zooplankton data collected allong a 5 station transect in front of the city Constanta (44°10'N, 28°41.5'E - EC1; 44°10'N, 28°47'E - EC2; 44°10'N, 28°54'E - EC3; 44°10'N, 29°08'E - EC4; 44°10'N, 29°22'E - EC5). Zooplankton sampling was undertaken at 5 stations where samples were collected using a Juday closing net in the 0-10, 10-25, 25-50m layer (depending also on the water masses). The dataset includes samples analysed for mesozooplankton species composition and abundance. Sampling volume was estimated by multiplying the mouth area with the wire length. Taxon-specific mesozooplankton abundance was count under microscope. Total abundance is the sum of the counted individuals. Total biomass Fodder, Rotifera , Ctenophora and Noctiluca was estimated using a tabel with wet weight for each species an stage.

Abundance and biomass of zooplankton from the Romanian littoral collected in April, May and June 1997

The SHELF 1997 dataset contains zooplankton data collected in April, May and June 1997 5 transect in front of the Romanian littoral . Zooplankton sampling was undertaken using a Juday closing net in the 0-10, 10-25, and 25-50m layer (depending also on the water masses). The dataset includes samples analysed for mesozooplankton species composition and abundance. Sampling volume was estimated by multiplying the mouth area with the wire length. Taxon-specific mesozooplankton abundance was count under microscope. Total abundance is the sum of the counted individuals. Total biomass Fodder, Rotifera , Ctenophora and Noctiluca was estimated using a tabel with wet weight for each species an stage.

(Table 4) Mesozoolpankton abundance and biomass and relative percentage of key zooplankton groups along the Bulgarian coast, Black Sea

Results of studies during Project of an international expedition onboard R/V Vladimir Parshin in September-October 2005 are presented. Intensive development of Bacillariophyceae and Dynophyceae was recorded in coastal waters of Bulgaria, Turkey, and in the Danube River delta during period of investigations. Increase in algae population was accompanied by rising of chlorophyll a concentration up to 2.0-5.5 µg/l. In the deep water region it did not exceed 0.5 µg/l. Phytoplankton growth rate in the surface water layer varied from 0.1 to 1.0 1/day. This parameter and NO2+NO3 concentration, as well as the silicon concentration were correlative, as was described by the Michaelis-Menten equation. Phytoplankton growth was affected by basic nutrients. Zooplankton grazing varied from 0.10 to 0.69 1/day and average values in different regions varied by 1.5 times. Microalgae size range is one of major factors of grazing regulation. Rate of phytoplankton consumption was decreasing with increasing the largest diatom Pseudosolenia calcar-avis impact on total biomass of nano- and microphytoplankton.