- Dona Paula, Goa, India.
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Abstract Submission No. | ABS-2022-06-0208 |
Title of Abstract | Spatial distribution and diversity of planktonic ciliates in the Eastern Indian Ocean, with emphasis on tintinnids |
Authors | Wuchang Zhang* |
Organisation | CAS Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, |
Address | 7 Nanhai Road Qingdao, PR, China Pincode: 86 Mobile: 13506391665 E-mail: wuchangzhang@qdio.ac.cn |
Country | China |
Presentation | Oral |
Abstract | Planktonic ciliates are important microzooplankton in pelagic ecosystems. Previous studies in the Indian Ocean are rare and have only investigated tintinnid community structure without considering aloricate ciliates and variations of tintinnid species richness and abundance in the horizontal level. In this study, we investigated ciliate communities near the equator (79-99°E, 10°N-10°S) in the Eastern Indian Ocean during the spring (1 March to 12 April). Ciliate abundance had bimodal distribution that ciliates were more abundant in the surface layer and DCM than other layers. Abundance of aloricate ciliates were higher than tintinnids in each sampling point and tintinnid proportion were less than 10% of total ciiates in the most of these sampling points. In addition, aloricate ciliates decreased with depth more quickly than tintinnids. Thirty-one genus and 112 species were identified in the present study except 3 unidentified species. Richness (maximum 30 species) and abundance (maximum 134 ind. L-1) of tintinnid were extremely high in the surface and DCM layers. The stations near to land had richer tintinnid species and higher abundance than the stations far away from land. The study area near the equator had lower tintinnid and aloricate ciliate abundances and tintinnid richness than other areas. The dominant tintinnid species were varied in the horizontal level, Rhabdonella elegans was dominant in the stations near to land and Eutintinnus lusus-undae was the dominated species in the equator area. R. elegans, E. obliqua, E. stramentus, E. lusus-undae and Salpingella acuminata (proportion account for >50% of total tintinnids) were overwhelmingly dominant in some sampling points, and these points tended to be near to land. Our results will help predict the variations of spatial distribution and diversity of ciliates communities and other plankton in a large horizontal level in the Indian Ocean. |