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Seasonal dynamics of body size in calanoid copepods (Calanoida: Copepoda) from the stressed tropical coast of India, Chennai, Bay of Bengal

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Abstract

Calanoid copepods have gained significant interest due to their rapid response to changes in environment. This study examined the seasonal variation in the size of calanoid copepods and their relationships to various environmental parameters in a tropical coast of India. Zooplankton samples were collected at Marina Beach, India, from January to December 2021. Ten calanoid species were selected based on their distribution to study the seasonal variation in the size, and the results showed a clear seasonal pattern, with smaller size of calanoid observed during summer months with high temperatures and larger sizes during the monsoon season associated with increased rainfall and nutrient availability. Negative correlations were observed between copepod size variation and temperature, while positive correlations were observed with dissolved oxygen, pH, salinity, and chlorophyll-a concentration. Acrocalanus gibber, Acrocalanus gracilis and Canthocalanus pauper showed changes that are more pronounced in body size (0.89–0.99, 1.12–1.23 mm and 1.41–1.52 mm, respectively) indicating species-specific responses to environmental fluctuations. These findings highlight the influence of environmental parameters in determining the size of calanoid copepods in tropical oceans. Moreover, this study contributes to our understanding of the ecological processes and global warming that determine copepod size variation in coastal ecosystems.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to express their sincere thanks to the Management, Principal, and Head of the Department of Biotechnology at Karpaga Vinayaga College of Engineering and Technology in India for supplying the essential resources. The authors would like to thank the Management, Principal, and Head of the Department of Biotechnology at St. Joseph's College of Engineering in India for their assistance throughout the study period.

Funding

This study was funded by Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), Government of India (MoES/36/OOIS/Extra/2018).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biotechnology, St Joseph’s College of Engineering, Chennai, Tamilnadu, India

    Md. Anwar Nawaz & Gurunathan Baskar

  2. School of Aquaculture, Department of Biotechnology, Karpaga Vinayaga College of Engineering and Technology, Chengalpattu, Tamilnadu, India

    Kandhasamy Sivakumar

  3. School of Engineering, Lebanese American University, Byblos, 1102 2801, Lebanon

    Gurunathan Baskar

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  1. Md. Anwar Nawaz
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  2. Kandhasamy Sivakumar
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  3. Gurunathan Baskar
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Contributions

MAN designed the research work, executed the research work, collected the zooplankton samples, analyzed the samples, identified the animals up to species level, interpreted the data and drafted the manuscript. KS acquired funding for the research work, collected the samples, analyzed the samples, and helped in species identification. GB analyzed environmental parameters, reviewed and finalized the manuscript. GB and KS supervised the entire work.

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Correspondence to Gurunathan Baskar.

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Nawaz, M.A., Sivakumar, K. & Baskar, G. Seasonal dynamics of body size in calanoid copepods (Calanoida: Copepoda) from the stressed tropical coast of India, Chennai, Bay of Bengal. Aquat Ecol (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10452-023-10075-1

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