Data

Zooplankton community composition of Darwin Harbour, Northern Territory

Name: Zooplankton community composition of Darwin Harbour, Northern Territory
Published: 2026

Australian Institute of Marine Science

Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS)

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ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Adc&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2FANDS&rft_id=https://apps.aims.gov.au/metadata/view/43ce7080-e5bb-11dc-a303-00008a07204e&rft.title=Zooplankton community composition of Darwin Harbour, Northern Territory&rft.identifier=https://apps.aims.gov.au/metadata/view/43ce7080-e5bb-11dc-a303-00008a07204e&rft.publisher=Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS)&rft.description=The composition of the zooplankton community in a macrotidal (8m), tropical estuarine system (Darwin Harbour, Northern Territory, Australia) was studied over a 2 year period.In all, 32 copepod species were recorded, with small euryhaline marine copepod species such as Parvocalanus crassirostris, Bestiolina similis and Oithona aruensis dominating the zooplankton. Salinity, temperature, silica, particulate phosphorus (PP), total dissolved nitrogen (TDN), dissolved organic nitrogen (DON), particulate nitrogen (PN) and total chlorophyll a were measured. Environmental variables were correlated with salinity, which had the strongest influence on community structure. Sites were grouped into three sample sets: River (BR - Blackmore River and ER - Elizabeth River); Inner Harbour (MA - Middle Arm and EA - East Arm); Middle (MH) and Outer (OH) Harbour. There was a significant drop in species richness from harbour to river sites. Samples were taken day and night at another site, B, to determine diurnal patterns.Seasons were designated as: Wet 2003 (December 2002 and February 2003), Dry 2003 (June and September 2003), Wet 2004 (December 2003 and February 2004), and Dry 2004 (July and October 2004).Plankton biomass was partitioned into 350µm size fractions. Average abundance (individual m-3) was measured and relative abundance (%) was calculated for the zooplankton community. Plankton abundances ranged between 30,000 and 110,000 m-3, and there were significant year, season and site differences. To describe biodiversity and determine the environmental factors that have the greatest impact on community structure. Copepod species: Acrocalanus gibber, A. gracilis, Arcatia pacifica, A. erythraea, A. fossae, A. sinjiensis, Bestiolina similis, Canthocalanus pauper, Corycaeus andrewsi, C. catus, C. dahli, C. dubius, C. pacificus, C. subtilis, Eucalanus pileatus, Euterina acutifrons, Labidocera minuta, Microstella sp., Oithona aruensis, O. attenuate, O. fallax, O. simplex, O. nana, O. nishidai, O. rigida, Onacea paraclevei, Paracalanus indicus, P. aculaeatus, P. aculaeatus minor, P. indicus, Parvocalanus crassirostris, Pseudodiaptomus sp., P. annandalei, P. griggae, P. mertoni, Tortanus barbartus; Calanoid, Cyclopoid, and Harpacticoid nauplii and copepodites.Other zooplankton components: Holoplankton (Chaetognatha, Euphausiid calyptosis, Appendicularia, Ostrocoda, Pteropoda, Salpida, decapod larvae); and Meroplankton (barnacle larvae, Bivalva, fish larvae, fish egg, Gastropoda, Polychaete, Brachyuran Zoea).A subset of the data has been provided to the Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS, http://iobis.org/OBISWEB/DisplayMetaData.jsp?content=meta/1463.html).Maintenance and Update Frequency: notPlannedStatement: Statement: Plankton samples were collected by vertical plankton hauls using a 73um plankton net.&rft.creator=Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) &rft.date=2026&rft.coverage=westlimit=130.69362; southlimit=-12.71575; eastlimit=130.97065; northlimit=-12.33625&rft.coverage=westlimit=130.69362; southlimit=-12.71575; eastlimit=130.97065; northlimit=-12.33625&rft_rights=Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Australia License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/au/&rft_rights=Use Limitation: All AIMS data, products and services are provided as is and AIMS does not warrant their fitness for a particular purpose or non-infringement. While AIMS has made every reasonable effort to ensure high quality of the data, products and services, to the extent permitted by law the data, products and services are provided without any warranties of any kind, either expressed or implied, including without limitation any implied warranties of title, merchantability, and fitness for a particular purpose or non-infringement. AIMS make no representation or warranty that the data, products and services are accurate, complete, reliable or current. To the extent permitted by law, AIMS exclude all liability to any person arising directly or indirectly from the use of the data, products and services.&rft_rights=Attribution: Format for citation of metadata sourced from Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) in a list of reference is as follows: Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS). (2009). Zooplankton community composition of Darwin Harbour, Northern Territory. https://apps.aims.gov.au/metadata/view/43ce7080-e5bb-11dc-a303-00008a07204e, accessed[date-of-access].&rft_rights=Resource Usage:Use of the AIMS data is for not-for-profit applications only. All other users shall seek permission for use by contacting AIMS. Acknowledgements as prescribed must be clearly set out in the user's formal communications or publications.&rft_subject=oceans&rft.type=dataset&rft.language=English Access the data

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Use Limitation: All AIMS data, products and services are provided "as is" and AIMS does not warrant their fitness for a particular purpose or non-infringement. While AIMS has made every reasonable effort to ensure high quality of the data, products and services, to the extent permitted by law the data, products and services are provided without any warranties of any kind, either expressed or implied, including without limitation any implied warranties of title, merchantability, and fitness for a particular purpose or non-infringement. AIMS make no representation or warranty that the data, products and services are accurate, complete, reliable or current. To the extent permitted by law, AIMS exclude all liability to any person arising directly or indirectly from the use of the data, products and services.

Attribution: Format for citation of metadata sourced from Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) in a list of reference is as follows: "Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS). (2009). Zooplankton community composition of Darwin Harbour, Northern Territory. https://apps.aims.gov.au/metadata/view/43ce7080-e5bb-11dc-a303-00008a07204e, accessed[date-of-access]".

Resource Usage:Use of the AIMS data is for not-for-profit applications only. All other users shall seek permission for use by contacting AIMS. Acknowledgements as prescribed must be clearly set out in the user's formal communications or publications.

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The composition of the zooplankton community in a macrotidal (8m), tropical estuarine system (Darwin Harbour, Northern Territory, Australia) was studied over a 2 year period.In all, 32 copepod species were recorded, with small euryhaline marine copepod species such as Parvocalanus crassirostris, Bestiolina similis and Oithona aruensis dominating the zooplankton. Salinity, temperature, silica, particulate phosphorus (PP), total dissolved nitrogen (TDN), dissolved organic nitrogen (DON), particulate nitrogen (PN) and total chlorophyll a were measured. Environmental variables were correlated with salinity, which had the strongest influence on community structure. Sites were grouped into three sample sets: River (BR - Blackmore River and ER - Elizabeth River); Inner Harbour (MA - Middle Arm and EA - East Arm); Middle (MH) and Outer (OH) Harbour. There was a significant drop in species richness from harbour to river sites. Samples were taken day and night at another site, B, to determine diurnal patterns.Seasons were designated as: Wet 2003 (December 2002 and February 2003), Dry 2003 (June and September 2003), Wet 2004 (December 2003 and February 2004), and Dry 2004 (July and October 2004).Plankton biomass was partitioned into 350µm size fractions. Average abundance (individual m-3) was measured and relative abundance (%) was calculated for the zooplankton community. Plankton abundances ranged between 30,000 and 110,000 m-3, and there were significant year, season and site differences.
To describe biodiversity and determine the environmental factors that have the greatest impact on community structure.
Copepod species: Acrocalanus gibber, A. gracilis, Arcatia pacifica, A. erythraea, A. fossae, A. sinjiensis, Bestiolina similis, Canthocalanus pauper, Corycaeus andrewsi, C. catus, C. dahli, C. dubius, C. pacificus, C. subtilis, Eucalanus pileatus, Euterina acutifrons, Labidocera minuta, Microstella sp., Oithona aruensis, O. attenuate, O. fallax, O. simplex, O. nana, O. nishidai, O. rigida, Onacea paraclevei, Paracalanus indicus, P. aculaeatus, P. aculaeatus minor, P. indicus, Parvocalanus crassirostris, Pseudodiaptomus sp., P. annandalei, P. griggae, P. mertoni, Tortanus barbartus; Calanoid, Cyclopoid, and Harpacticoid nauplii and copepodites.Other zooplankton components: Holoplankton (Chaetognatha, Euphausiid calyptosis, Appendicularia, Ostrocoda, Pteropoda, Salpida, decapod larvae); and Meroplankton (barnacle larvae, Bivalva, fish larvae, fish egg, Gastropoda, Polychaete, Brachyuran Zoea).A subset of the data has been provided to the Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS, http://iobis.org/OBISWEB/DisplayMetaData.jsp?content=meta/1463.html).

Lineage

Maintenance and Update Frequency: notPlanned

Statement: Statement: Plankton samples were collected by vertical plankton hauls using a 73um plankton net.

Notes

Credit
McKinnon, A David, Dr (Principal Investigator)

Credit
Samantha Talbot (Duggan) (Point Of Contact)

Modified: 18 09 2026

This dataset is part of a larger collection

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text: westlimit=130.69362; southlimit=-12.71575; eastlimit=130.97065; northlimit=-12.33625

Subjects

oceans |

User Contributed Tags

Other Information

Zooplankton in an Australian tropical estuary: Duggan S, McKinnon AD and Carleton JH (2008) Zooplankton in an Australian tropical estuary. Estuaries and Coasts 31: 455-467.

local : articleId=7679

OBIS dataset

url : http://iobis.org/OBISWEB/DisplayMetaData.jsp?content=maps_and_metadata/1463.html External Link

Identifiers

global : 43ce7080-e5bb-11dc-a303-00008a07204e