PELD-ELPA Continuous monitoring of the micro and mesozooplankton of the Patos Lagoon estuary and adjacent coastal area

Study Extent

Sampling covers the inner estuary near the city of Rio Grande. Another location near the mouth of the estuary and another at the Cassino beach Coordinates: Channel (32°08’56” S 52°06’03” W), Inner estuary (32°01’30” S 52°06’24”W) and Cassino beach (32º 12.376’ S 52º 10.561’ W).

Sampling

Zooplankton samples at the estuary are being collected using mini bongo frames of 30 cm of diameter fitted with 200 and 90 microns meshes with calibrated Hydrobios flowmeters attached to the mouth of each net. For the Cassino beach, a conventional 30 cm diameter frame fitted with a 200 mesh and a calibrated TSK flowmeter are being used. Temperature and salinity are measured using a thermosalinometer (Hanna HI 9828), refractometers and a mercury thermometer. Water samples of 100 mL from each site are filtered trough GF/F Filters (Whatman) using a syringe coupled with a swinnex attachment. Samples are collected from sub-superficial horizontal tows of ~ 3 min using mini bongo frames of 30 cm of diameter fitted with 200 and 90 microns meshes with calibrated Hydro-Bios flowmeters attached to the mouth of each net. For the Cassino beach, a conventional 30 cm diameter frame fitted with a 200 mesh and a calibrated TSK flowmeter are being used. All samples are immediately preserved in a 4% borax buffered formaldehyde solution (Steedman, 1976) until processing. Temperature and salinity are measured on each station using a thermosalinometer (Hanna HI 9828), refractometers and a mercury thermometer. On each station two samples of 20 to 100 mL are collected and filtered trough 2.5 cm glass microfibre filters (Whatman GF/F) using a syringe with a filter holder attachment (Swinnex). Each filter paper are then folded in half, wrapped in foil and frozen until processing. Chlorophyll a are extracted with 90% acetone and readings are made on a calibrated Turner Designs Fluorometer (TD 700) according to Welshmeyer (1994).

Quality Control

All samples are collected under the supervision of post-graduate students of the Zooplankton Laboratory, and the quality of data are checked before uploading in the data bank.

Method steps

1. All zooplankton organisms present on subsamples of 1.25 to 50 % of the 200 µm mesh samples, were counted on a stereoscopic microscope and identified to the lowest taxonomic level possible. Copepod species were identified according to Björnberg (1981); Bradford-Grieve (1999) and Rose (1933). Barnacle nauplii according to Lang (1979; 1980) and the remaining species and/or groups using references on Boltovskoy (1981, 1999). All results are expressed in numbers of organisms.m-3.

Several species belonging to the following big groups: Cnidaria, Ctenophora, Mollusca, Polychaeta, Cladocera, Cirripedia, Copepoda, Ostracoda, Mysida, Amphipoda, Euphausiacea, Decapoda, Chaetognatha and Tunicada.

1. Annelida
   rank: phylum
2. Arthropoda
   rank: phylum
3. Chaetognatha
   rank: phylum
4. Chordata
   rank: phylum
5. Cnidaria
   rank: phylum
6. Ctenophora
   rank: phylum
7. Echinodermata
   rank: phylum
8. Mollusca
   rank: phylum
9. Phoronida
   rank: phylum
10. Rotifera
    rank: phylum
11. Appendicularia
    rank: class
12. Bivalvia
    rank: class
13. Branchiopoda
    rank: class
14. Gastropoda
    rank: class
15. Hexanauplia
    rank: class
16. Hydrozoa
    rank: class
17. Ichthyostraca
    rank: class
18. Malacostraca
    rank: class
19. Ostracoda
    rank: class
20. Polychaeta
    rank: class
21. Sagittoidea
    rank: class
22. Thaliacea
    rank: class
23. Amphipoda
    rank: order
24. Anomopoda
    rank: order
25. Aphragmophora
    rank: order
26. Arguloida
    rank: order
27. Calanoida
    rank: order
28. Copelata
    rank: order
29. Ctenopoda
    rank: order
30. Cumacea
    rank: order
31. Cyclopoida
    rank: order
32. Decapoda
    rank: order
33. Euphausiacea
    rank: order
34. Harpacticoida
    rank: order
35. Isopoda
    rank: order
36. Mysida
    rank: order
37. Onychopoda
    rank: order
38. Salpida
    rank: order
39. Sessilia
    rank: order
40. Siphonophorae
    rank: order
41. Siphonostomatoida
    rank: order
42. Tanaidacea
    rank: order
43. Acartiidae
    rank: family
44. Balanidae
    rank: family
45. Bosminidae
    rank: family
46. Calanidae
    rank: family
47. Centropagidae
    rank: family
48. Chydoridae
    rank: family
49. Clausocalanidae
    rank: family
50. Corycaeidae
    rank: family
51. Cyclopidae
    rank: family
52. Daphniidae
    rank: family
53. Diaptomidae
    rank: family
54. Ditrichocorycaeus
    rank: family
55. Ectinosomatidae
    rank: family
56. Ergasilidae
    rank: family
57. Eurycercidae
    rank: family
58. Heterorhabdidae
    rank: family
59. Ilyocryptidae
    rank: family
60. Kalliapseudidae
    rank: family
61. Lubbockiidae
    rank: family
62. Luciferidae
    rank: family
63. Macrothricidae
    rank: family
64. Miraciidae
    rank: family
65. Moinidae
    rank: family
66. Oikopleuridae
    rank: family
67. Oithonidae
    rank: family
68. Oncaeidae
    rank: family
69. Onychocorycaeus
    rank: family
70. Paracalanidae
    rank: family
71. Peltidiidae
    rank: family
72. Podonidae
    rank: family
73. Pontellidae
    rank: family
74. Pseudodiaptomidae
    rank: family
75. Sagittidae
    rank: family
76. Sapphirinidae
    rank: family
77. Scolecitrichidae
    rank: family
78. Sididae
    rank: family
79. Subeucalanidae
    rank: family
80. Tachidiidae
    rank: family
81. Temoridae
    rank: family
82. Acanthocyclops
    rank: genus
83. Acartia
    rank: genus
84. Alona
    rank: genus
85. Amphibalanus
    rank: genus
86. Argyrodiaptomus
    rank: genus
87. Belzebub
    rank: genus
88. Biapertura
    rank: genus
89. Boeckella
    rank: genus
90. Bosmina
    rank: genus
91. Bosminopsis
    rank: genus
92. Calanoides
    rank: genus
93. Calanus
    rank: genus
94. Camptocercus
    rank: genus
95. Centropages
    rank: genus
96. Ceriodaphnia
    rank: genus
97. Chydorus
    rank: genus
98. Clausocalanus
    rank: genus
99. Clytemnestra
    rank: genus
100. Corycaeus
     rank: genus
101. Ctenocalanus
     rank: genus
102. Daphnia
     rank: genus
103. Diaphanosoma
     rank: genus
104. Ephemeroporus
     rank: genus
105. Ergasilus
     rank: genus
106. Eucyclops
     rank: genus
107. Euryalona
     rank: genus
108. Euterpina
     rank: genus
109. Evadne
     rank: genus
110. Flaccisagitta
     rank: genus
111. Halicyclops
     rank: genus
112. Heterorhabdus
     rank: genus
113. Ilyocryptus
     rank: genus
114. Kalliapseudes
     rank: genus
115. Labidocera
     rank: genus
116. Lubbockia
     rank: genus
117. Macrosetella
     rank: genus
118. Macrothrix
     rank: genus
119. Mecynocera
     rank: genus
120. Mesocyclops
     rank: genus
121. Metacyclops
     rank: genus
122. Microsetella
     rank: genus
123. Moina
     rank: genus
124. Nannocalanus
     rank: genus
125. Notoalona
     rank: genus
126. Notodiaptomus
     rank: genus
127. Oikopleura
     rank: genus
128. Oithona
     rank: genus
129. Oncaea
     rank: genus
130. Paracalanus
     rank: genus
131. Parasagitta
     rank: genus
132. Parvocalanus
     rank: genus
133. Penilia
     rank: genus
134. Pleopis
     rank: genus
135. Podon
     rank: genus
136. Pontellopsis
     rank: genus
137. Pseudevadne
     rank: genus
138. Pseudodiaptomus
     rank: genus
139. Pseudosagitta
     rank: genus
140. Pseudosida
     rank: genus
141. Sapphirina
     rank: genus
142. Scolecithrix
     rank: genus
143. Simocephalus
     rank: genus
144. Subeucalanus
     rank: genus
145. Temora
     rank: genus
146. Undinula
     rank: genus
147. Acanthocyclops robustus robustus
     rank: species
148. Acartia (Acanthacartia) tonsa
     rank: species
149. Acartia (Odontacartia) lilljeborgi
     rank: species
150. Alona costata
     rank: species
151. Alona monacantha
     rank: species
152. Amphibalanus improvisus
     rank: species
153. Argyrodiaptomus denticulatus
     rank: species
154. Biapertura affinis
     rank: species
155. Boeckella bergi
     rank: species
156. Bosmina (Bosmina) longirostris
     rank: species
157. Bosminopsis deitersi
     rank: species
158. Calanoides carinatus
     rank: species
159. Camptocercus australis
     rank: species
160. Centropages furcatus
     rank: species
161. Ceriodaphnia cornuta
     rank: species
162. Ceriodaphnia dubia
     rank: species
163. Chydorus eurynotus
     rank: species
164. Chydorus parvireticulatus
     rank: species
165. Chydorus sphaericus
     rank: species
166. Clausocalanus furcatus
     rank: species
167. Clausocalanus parapergens
     rank: species
168. Corycaeus speciosus
     rank: species
169. Ctenocalanus citer
     rank: species
170. Ctenocalanus vanus
     rank: species
171. Daphnia (Daphnia) ambigua
     rank: species
172. Diaphanosoma brachyurum
     rank: species
173. Diaphanosoma brevireme
     rank: species
174. Diaphanosoma fluviatile
     rank: species
175. Diaphanosoma spinulosum
     rank: species
176. Ditrichocorycaeus amazonicus
     rank: species
177. Eucyclops ensifer
     rank: species
178. Euryalona orientalis
     rank: species
179. Euterpina acutifrons
     rank: species
180. Evadne nordmanni
     rank: species
181. Flaccisagitta enflata
     rank: species
182. Goniopsyllus rostratus
     rank: species
183. Heterorhabdus papilliger
     rank: species
184. Ilyocryptus spinifer
     rank: species
185. Labidocera fluviatilis
     rank: species
186. Lubbockia squillimana
     rank: species
187. Macrosetella gracilis
     rank: species
188. Macrothrix spinosa
     rank: species
189. Mecynocera clausi
     rank: species
190. Mesocyclops longisetus longisetus
     rank: species
191. Metacyclops mendocinus mendocinus
     rank: species
192. Microsetella norvegica
     rank: species
193. Microsetella rosea
     rank: species
194. Moina micrura
     rank: species
195. Moina minuta
     rank: species
196. Nannocalanus minor
     rank: species
197. Notoalona sculpta
     rank: species
198. Notodiaptomus incompositus
     rank: species
199. Oithona nana
     rank: species
200. Oithona oswaldocruzi
     rank: species
201. Oithona plumifera
     rank: species
202. Oithona similis
     rank: species
203. Oithona simplex
     rank: species
204. Oncaea curvata
     rank: species
205. Oncaea lacinia
     rank: species
206. Oncaea mediterranea
     rank: species
207. Oncaea venusta
     rank: species
208. Oncaea waldemari
     rank: species
209. Onychocorycaeus giesbrechti
     rank: species
210. Paracalanus aculeatus
     rank: species
211. Paracalanus indicus
     rank: species
212. Paracalanus parvus
     rank: species
213. Paracalanus quasimodo
     rank: species
214. Parasagitta tenuis
     rank: species
215. Parvocalanus crassirostris
     rank: species
216. Penilia avirostris
     rank: species
217. Pleopis polyphemoides
     rank: species
218. Pleopis schmackeri
     rank: species
219. Pontellopsis brevis
     rank: species
220. Pseudevadne tergestina
     rank: species
221. Pseudodiaptomus richardi
     rank: species
222. Pseudosagitta lyra
     rank: species
223. Pseudosida bidentata
     rank: species
224. Scolecithrix danae
     rank: species
225. Simocephalus latirostris
     rank: species
226. Simocephalus serrulatus
     rank: species
227. Simocephalus vetulus
     rank: species
228. Subeucalanus pileatus
     rank: species
229. Temora stylifera
     rank: species
230. Temora turbinata
     rank: species
231. Undinula vulgaris
     rank: species
232. Actinopterygii
     rank: class

The Patos Lagoon at the southern Brazilian coastal plain (Rio Grande do Sul state) is the largest (10,360 km2) choked lagoon in the world stretching in a NE SW direction from the city of Porto Alegre (30º30’ S) to Rio Grande (32º12’ S). In the southern estuarine region, approximately 10 % of total area, a single and narrow inlet connects this lagoon to the Atlantic Ocean. The major tributary rivers at the northern and central areas of Patos Lagoon, and the São Gonçalo channel at the southern area, are significant freshwater sources from an extensive drainage basin. The hydrodynamics of Patos Lagoon estuary is strongly controlled by the discharge of tributary rivers and the action of predominant winds.