Copepod egg production in Exmouth Gulf, Western Australia

Created 23/06/2025

Updated 23/06/2025

Ten stations were sampled in Exmouth Gulf (7 on the eastern side and 3 on the western). At each station water temperature and salinity were measured at 1m depth intervals and secchi depth recorded. Values for Chlorophyll a, particulate carbon and nitrogen were determined. Egg production rates by 4 of the dominant copepod species were measured by bottle incubations (Acartia fossae, Parvocalanus crassirostris) and the egg-ratio technique (Oithona attenuata and Oithona simplex). Egg production data was used to calculate adult females grazing rates of the total particulate carbon each day.Plankton abundance and biomass did not differ greatly within the gulf; however, highest values of chlorophyll a, particulate carbon and nitrogen, and copepod egg production rates occurred in the south-east of the gulf. Though egg production rates were low and apparently severely food-limited, resuspension of bottom sediments or export of material from adjacent salt flats may fuel production in shallow inshore areas of the gulf. P. crassirostris appeared to be omnivorous and 0. attenuata primarily herbivorous, but the trophic resources used by 0. simplex and A. fossae could not be identified. From the egg production data, it was calculated that adult females of the four dominant copepod species graze 12% of the total particulate carbon each day. This research was undertaken to: 1. Investigate plankton community structure and abundance in Exmouth Gulf2. Estimate egg production rates by the dominant copepod species in relation to their potential trophic resources and to the hydrography of the area.

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Additional Info

Field Value
Title Copepod egg production in Exmouth Gulf, Western Australia
Language eng
Licence Not Specified
Landing Page https://data.gov.au/data/dataset/70da5e3a-4eb8-4fbf-a1bc-82197f94c6d0
Contact Point
Australian Ocean Data Network
reception@aims.gov.au
Reference Period 20/11/2017
Geospatial Coverage
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
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    ]
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  "type": "Polygon"
}
Data Portal Australian Oceans Data Network

Data Source

This dataset was originally found on Australian Oceans Data Network "Copepod egg production in Exmouth Gulf, Western Australia". Please visit the source to access the original metadata of the dataset:
https://catalogue.aodn.org.au/geonetwork/srv/eng/csw/dataset/copepod-egg-production-in-exmouth-gulf-western-australia1