Community Composition of Zooplankton near Fish Cages in Lampung and South Sulawesi, Indonesia

Fish cage aquaculture may impact on the plankton communities present in the surrounding waters, as a result of changes in water quality from aquaculture wastes. Zooplankton abundance, biomass and copepod species composition were studied in three Indonesian embayments containing fish cages (Awarange Bay, South Sulawesi; Ayong Farm and Hurun Bay, Lampung) over 2 years (dry season, August 2006 and wet season, March 2007). Zooplankton were sampled with vertical net hauls from bottom to surface with a 0.5 m diameter net of 73 mu m mesh. Total zooplankton biomass ranged between 36 mg times m super(-3) (Hurun Bay, August 2006) and 877 mg times m super(-3) (Awarange Bay, March 2007). Total zooplankton abundance ranged between 32,745 individuals times m super(-3) (Hurun Bay, August 2006) and 652, 925 individuals times m super(-3) (Awarange Bay, August 2006). Calanoida and Cyclopoida nauplii and juveniles dominated numerically (62-91%), with adult copepods also having high total abundances (6-38%). Non-copepod holoplankton (larvaceans, chaetognaths, ostracods, euphausiid larvae and shrimp larvae) and meroplankton (zoea larvae) made up only a very small amount of the total abundance found at all sites (0.2-7.7%). Thirty seven copepod species were recorded from 12 families, with 5 new records for Indonesia: Oithona decipiens, Oithona hebes, Oncaea atlantica group, Oncaea zernovi group and Spinoncaea spp. The majority of the copepod species present at all sites were