Abstract

CONTRERAS-VEGA, Laura et al. Collecting device for zooplankton associated with mesophotic coral ecosystems. Bol. Invest. Mar. Cost. [online]. 2020, vol.49, suppl.1, pp.243-250.  Epub Sep 06, 2021. ISSN 0122-9761.  https://doi.org/10.25268/bimc.invemar.2020.49.suplesp.1043.

Mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs) host unique communities that have not been sufficiently studied due to the high cost of available technologies. These reefs can be found between 30 and 150 m deep, where the amount of incident light is < 10 % of that reaching the surface. The zooxanthellae associated with these reefs have a reduced photosynthetic rate due to the low availability of light, therefore, zooplankton becomes the main food source for the coral colonies. To study the composition of zooplankton communities associated to these ecosystems, a device that allowed the collection of zooplankton present on the Bajo Fríjol reef scaffold was designed and tested in the Corales de Profundidad National Natural Park. The device consisted of a weighted hose that reached the desired depth, connected to the collecting device, by means of which the water was filtered using a suction pump. The amount of filtered water, the species collected, and their abundance allowed to conclude that the device is a useful, versatile and economic tool for the characterization and monitoring of the zooplanktonic community in the Corales de Profundidad Park, so it could be extended to other shallow and mesophotic coral ecosystems.

Keywords : mesophotic reefs; collection device; zooplankton.

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