Identifying zooplankton community changes between shallow and upper-mesophotic reefs on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, Caribbean.
Mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs, reefs 30-150 m) are understudied, yet the limited research conducted has been biased towards large sessile taxa, such as scleractinian corals and sponges, or mobile taxa such as fishes. Here we investigate zooplankton communities on shallow reefs and MCEs around Utila on the southern Mesoamerican Barrier Reef using planktonic light traps. Zooplankton samples were sorted into broad taxonomic groups. Our results indicate similar taxonomic zooplankton richness and overall biomass between shallow reefs and MCEs. However, the abundance of larger bodied (>2 mm) zooplanktonic groups, including decapod crab zoea, mysid shrimps and peracarid crustaceans, was higher on MCEs than shallow reefs. Our findings highlight the importance of considering zooplankton when identifying broader reef community shifts across the shallow reef to MCE depth gradient.
Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom; Operation Wallacea, Old Bolingbroke, Lincolnshire, United Kingdom.
Dominic A
DA
Andradi-Brown
Department of Zoology, University of Oxford , Oxford , Oxfordshire , United Kingdom.
Catherine E I
CE
Head
Operation Wallacea , Old Bolingbroke , Lincolnshire , United Kingdom.
Dan A
DA
Exton
Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom; Operation Wallacea, Old Bolingbroke, Lincolnshire, United Kingdom.
Christina L
CL
Hunt
Operation Wallacea , Old Bolingbroke , Lincolnshire , United Kingdom.
Alicia
A
Hendrix
Operation Wallacea , Old Bolingbroke , Lincolnshire , United Kingdom.
Erika
E
Gress
Department of Zoology, University of Oxford , Oxford , Oxfordshire , United Kingdom.
Alex D
AD
Rogers
Coral reef; Depth changes; Honduras; Light trap; MCE; Mesoamerican Barrier Reef; Mesophotic; Twilight zone; Utila; Zooplankton