Copepods (Zooplankton) of Muriganga Estuary, at West Bengal Coast, India

Estuarine plankton are often influenced by seasonal change and abiotic variability. The copepod community of India’s Muriganga estuary was hypothesized to be affected by seasonal and abiotic (e.g., salinity, water temperature and pH) changes; therefore, seasonal sampling of the copepod assemblages and those abiotic parameters was conducted between February 2019 and October 2020 from three sites of the estuary. It was found that the salinity of premonsoon was significantly different than monsoon and postmonsoon. Further, salinity showed a significant negative relationship with the diversity indices and the total abundance of the copepod community. Seasonal ordination of the copepod assemblages was significantly different. Dissimilarities observed in the abundances of species such as Bestiolina similis, Acartiella tortaniformis, Acartia spinicauda and Paracalanus parvus could be a possible reason of that. Bestiolina similis was the most abundant and dominant population of the copepod community. Species such as Acartiella tortaniformis, Acartia spinicauda, Paracalanus parvus were also highly abundant. Occasionally, along with Bestiolina similis those species co-dominated the copepod community of the Muriganga estuary. The results overall indicate the resilience of the copepod community to the abiotic and seasonal changes of the tropical estuarine environment.