Distribution of mesozooplankton along to Anatolian coast in Black Sea over autumn period

Distribution pattern was studied and community analyses of mesozooplankton were made at ten stations in the Turkish coastal waters of Black Sea. During the sampling period, totally 4 holoplanktonic major taxa, which Copepoda, Cladocera Appendicularia and Chaetognatha, were identified. At all stations copepod dominated the assemblages. Copepod species Acartia clausi, Calanus euxinus, Paracalanus parvus, Pseudocalanus elongatus, Oithona similis and. Appendicularia species Oikopleura dioica were important components of the zooplankton community in this study. Although similarity between holoplanktonic community of the stations were higher than, 70%, three different community structure which fits the Black Sea general current regime were observed during the sampling period. This study includes 3 meroplanktonic taxa, which Bivalvia, Cirripedia, Polychaeta, was identified. Bivalvia larvae (max. 12215 ind. m(-3)) dominated the meroplankton (97%), followed by larvae of cirripeds (2%), and polychaetes (1%). Bivalvia larvae were observed more intense in the western Black Sea. Similarity between meroplanktonic communities of the stations was higher than 50%.