Interannual variability of copepods in a Mediterranean coastal area (Saronikos Gulf, Aegean Sea)

Patterns of abundance of the dominant copepods as well as that of the total copepods, are given for a coastal area of the eastern Mediterranean Sea (Saronikos Gulf, Aegean Sea). The results were based on 124 zooplankton samples collected biweekly during a 5-year period from January 1989 through December 1993. Copepod abundances and environmental parameters, almost all, exhibited pronounced annual cycles. Most copepods revealed repeated patterns and considerable interannual variability. Both salinity and abundance of total copepods, revealed a clear interannual increase from 1989 to 1993. Multiple regression models, based on stepwise variable selection, suggested that temperature and salinity were the most significant environmental parameters accounting for the variability of abundances. Simple regression models applied on mean annual values reveal the importance of salinity as the most significant factor affecting interannual variability of copepods.