Distribution, Abundance and Composition of Zooplankton in the South China Sea, Area I: Gulf of Thailand and East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia

Abstract

The sample of 81 stations in the Gulf of Thailand and the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia were collected by M.V.SEAFDEC on 4 September - 4 October 1995 for the pre northeast monsoon period and on 23 April - 23 May 1996 for the post-northeast monsoon period. 34 groups of zooplankton were found in this study. Copepod was the most abundant in both period followed by Chaetognatha in pre-monsoon and Ostracod in post-monsoon. Biomass and abundance vary from 0.069 - 20.172 ml/m³ and 36 - 3,413 no/m³ in pre-monsoon and 0.18 - 2.589 ml/m³ and 91-1,514 no/m³ in postmonsoon respectively. There was significant difference for abundance between pre and post-monsoon period (at 95 % level). But there was no significant difference between biomass for both period.