Community Composition of Zooplankton near Fish Cages in Lampung and South Sulawesi, Indonesia

Fish cage aquaculture may impact on the plankton communities present in the surrounding waters, as a result of changes in water quality from aquaculture wastes. Zooplankton abundance, biomass and copepod species composition were studied in three Indonesian embayments containing fish cages (Awarange Bay, South Sulawesi; Ayong Farm and Hurun Bay, Lampung) over 2 years (dry season, August 2006 and wet season, March 2007). Zooplankton were sampled with vertical net hauls from bottom to surface with a 0.5 m diameter net of 73 μm mesh. Total zooplankton biomass ranged between 36 mg.m^-3 (Hurun Bay, August 2006) and 877 mg.m^-3 (Awarange Bay, March 2007). Total zooplankton abundance ranged between 32,745 individuals.m^-3 (Hurun Bay, August 2006) and 652, 925 individuals.m^-3 (Awarange Bay, August 2006). Calanoida and Cyclopoida nauplii and juveniles dominated numerically (62-91%), with adult copepods also having high total abundances (6-38%). Non-copepod holoplankton (larvaceans, chaetognaths, ostracods, euphausiid larvae and shrimp larvae) and meroplankton (zoea larvae) made up only a very small amount of the total abundance found at all sites (0.2-7.7%). Thirty seven copepod species were recorded from 12 families, with 5 new records for Indonesia: Oithona decipiens, Oithona hebes, Oncaea atlantica group, Oncaea zernovi group and Spinoncaea spp. The majority of the copepod species present at all sites were 1.0 mm in length, and the community composition was similar to that found in other Asian coastal environments where aquaculture development occurs.