Impact of climate change on long-term zooplankton biomass in the upwelling region of the Gulf of Guinea
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longtermchangezooplankton.pdf
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223 KB)
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| Upload date | 09 Jun 2015 |
| Contributor | Emmanuel Dovlo |
| Geographical coverage | Gulf of Guinea, Ghana, |
| Keywords | zooplankton, upwelling, climate, hydrography, biomass, community structure, |
| Release date | 09/06/2015 |
| # | File name | Contributor | Upload date | Size | Content type |
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| 1 | longtermchangezooplankton.pdf (current) | Emmanuel Dovlo | 09 Jun 2015 | 223 KB |
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The long-term changes in coastal zooplankton in the upwelling region in the Gulf of Guinea, 1969–1992, in relation to climatic and biotic factors were investigated. The role of hydrographic and climatic factors, i.e. sea surface temperature (SST), salinity, sea level pressure, windfield, and Southern Oscillation Index (SOI), in the long-term variation of zooplankton in a multiple regression analysis, along with the abundance of Sardinella were considered. Annual variation in zooplankton biomass was cyclical, with the annual peak occurring during the major upwelling season, July–September. Over the 24-year period, there was a downward trend in zooplankton biomass (equivalent to 6.33 ml per 1000 m3 per year). This trend was believed to be the main influence on the abundance of the large copepod Calanoides carinatus, which appears in the coastal waters only during the major upwelling season. The warming trend associated with global climate change could affect zooplankton community structure, especially during the major upwelling season.
Please contact Dr. George Wiafe
Email: wiafeg@ug.edu.gh