IB03-9 ORAL

MEROPLANKTON COMPOSITION OFF SINOP (THE SOUTHERN BLACK SEA) IN1999-2000

A. E. KIDEYS (Institute of Marine Sciences, Erdemli 33731 Turkey,kideys@ims.metu.edu.tr); V. Murina (Institute for the Biology of theSouthern Seas, Nachimov Ave. 2, Sevastopol, Crimae, Ukraine,plankton@ibss.iuf.net); L. Bat (Su Urunleri Fak., Akliman, 57000 Sinop,leventbat@hotmail.com); M. Akbulut (Su Urunleri Fak., Akliman, 57000 Sinop,leventbat@hotmail.com); J. Zagorodnyaya (Institute for the Biology of theSouthern Seas, Nachimov Ave. 2, Sevastopol, Crimae, Ukraine,plankton@ibss.iuf.net)

Distribution of the meroplankton in the southern Black Sea was studied at monthly intervals from two stations off Sinop, southern Black Sea, during September 1999 - September 2000. Almost all benthic larvae in the samples were identified to species, and their abundance and biomass were calculated.Overall, 17 Polychaeta, 4 Bivalvia, 9 Gastropoda, 6 Decapoda, 1 Cirripedia,1 Bryozoa, 1 Phoronidea and 1 Hydroidea meroplankton species were found in these two stations. Abundance and biodiversity was higher at the inshore station compared to that offshore. The results of this one year qualitative and quantitative monitoring show that meroplankton of the southern Black Sea represents two clearly distinguished ecological groups of larvae; one of them consists of warm water epipelagic coastal origin species and another is formed by cold water batypelagic origin species. The first group was dominated by larvae of Mytilus galloprovincialis and Balanusimprovisus, while the second group was rich in polychaetes such as Victorniella zaikai, Protodrilus sp. and trochophores of the family Plyllocidae. The seasonality of meroplankton in these stations was analysed with respect to basic environmental parameters. This study is of great importance in being the first detailed report on !the meroplankton of Turkish waters.