A compact, self-contained zooplankton pump for use in shallow coastal habitats: design and performance compared to net samples

Abstract

A portable zooplankton pump system that can be operated by 1 person is descnbed. Comparison of the taxononlic composition of zooplankton samples taken with the pump and a boat-towed net in a tropical, mangrove- dominated estuary on 2 dates revealed significant correla- tions in the rank order of abundance of the major taxa cap- tured by the 2 methods. Comparisons of densities of zoo- plankton taken by the 2 methods indicated that there was no significant difference in the mean abundances of the 3 taxa (copepods, nauplii and zoea) that made up more than 78 % of the animals sampled on each date. However net samples yielded significantly greater numbers of chaetognaths, larva- ceans and polychaete larvae, while pump san~ples held more gastropod and bivalve larvae. Several possible uses of the pump system are discussed. Sampling