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Perspectives on Marine Environment Change in Hong Kong and Southern China, 1977-2001 (ed . B. Morton). Proceedings o f a n Internationa l Worksho p Reunio n Conference, Hon g Kon g 21-26 Octobe r 2001. Hong Kong: Hong Kon g University Press , 2003. SEASONAL CHANGE S I N THE PLANKTONI C COPEPO D COMMUNITY O F THE SOUTHEASTER N COASTA L WATER S OF HONG KON G Christine N.W. Lee The Swire Institute of Marine Science and Department of Ecology an d Biodiversity , The University o f Hong Kong, Hong Kon g ABSTRACT Seasonal variation s i n th e copepo d assemblag e o f th e southeaster n coasta l water s o f Hong Kong were studied using 127 plankton samples collected monthly from six stations between January and December 1997 . Samplings were made by vertical tows from th e seabed to the surface using a 125-pm mesh Hensen plankton net. Ninety-eight copepod species wer e recorded, includin g 4 7 calanoids, 21 cyclopoids, 8 harpacticoids an d 2 2 poecilostomatoids. Fou r commo n perennia l specie s wer e identified , tha t are , Parvocalanus crassirostris, Paracalanus parvus, Oithona nana an d Microsetella norvegica. Seasonal variations in copepod abundance identified three quantitative peaks, i.e., i n sprin g (March) , summe r (July ) an d autum n (November) . M. norvegica (57% ) and Corycaeus affinis (11% ) virtually monopolized the copepod community in spring. The summe r pea k wa s characterize d b y larg e number s o f calanoids , especiall y P. crassirostris (35%) , P. parvus (10% ) an d Scolecithricella longispinosa (15%) . Th e autumn peak , o n th e othe r hand , wa s cause d b y th e proliferatio n o f P. crassirostris (32%), Oithona simplex (21%) and Oithona aruensis (9%). These copepods were either grazers or ciliate-consumers. In contrast, M. norvegica ( > 40%) and Corycaeus affinis (> 10% ) tended to be more abundant i n both winter and spring. The former i s known to associate with blue green algae, while the latter feeds o n larvacean houses. Copepod communit y compositio n i n southeastern coasta l waters differs fro m tha t of organicall y pollute d Tol o Harbou r t o Hon g Kong' s northeas t an d th e Pear l Rive r Estuary to the west. Cyclopoids and poecilostomatoids were better represented in Tolo Harbour ( > 70 % o f tota l zooplankto n abundance) , a s compare d wit h ~ 10 % of tota l copepod numbers in southeastern waters. The Pearl River Estuary is characterized by a preponderance of brackish-water copepods , such as Pseudodiaptomus poplesia, whic h were no t obtaine d i n thi s study . Copepo d specie s composition s i n th e southeaster n coastal water s o f Hon g Kong , a s this stud y shows , vary wit h seasonally-changin g ai r 368 CN.W. LEE and se a climates an d diffe r throughou t th e coastal water s o f Hon g Kong , probably i n relation to local hydrography . INTRODUCTION The Copepod a represent s on e o f th e mos t dominan t component s o f an y plankto n community, accountin g fo r > 50 % o f tota l zooplankto n abundance , an d i s divers e i n terms o f specie s compositio n i n th e coasta l water s o f Hon g Kon g (Che n 1982 ; Cha n 1991, 1995; Tam 1998). Both copepod abundance and species composition are important in estimating fishery productio n as they serve as an important link between phyto- and bacterioplankton an d higher trophic levels in the nekton and benthos, for example , the clupeiformes (Zhen g et al. 1965 ; Zheng an d Li 1988) , mackerels (Che n 1992 ) and the Red seabrea m Pagurus major (Ued a 1980) . The diverse specie s of the Copepoda als o include members of different feedin g guilds, such as bacteriophages, suspension feeders, herbivores, carnivore s an d omnivores . Planktoni c copepod s are , thus , importan t i n structuring th e neritic ecosyste m and , i n turn , ar e crucial t o ou r understandin g o f th e biological cyclin g of organic matter in the sea. Plankton studies in the southeastern coastal waters of Hong Kong are few. Previous investigations o f plankto n her e hav...

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