Resumo

GIRALDO, Alan  e  GUTIERREZ, Erica. Taxonomic composition of the surface zooplankton in the Colombian Pacific (September 2003). Investig. mar. [online]. 2007, vol.35, n.1, pp. 117-122. ISSN 0717-7178.  doi: 10.4067/S0717-71782007000100012.

A qualitative and quantitative analysis of coastal and oceanic zooplankton in the Colombian Pacific was carried out in order to characterize the composition of this community. Zooplankton abundance was between 7,900 and 100,500 ind·100 m^{-3. A total of 26 taxonomic groups were identified, with copepods being the most abundant, followed by chaetognaths. No significant differences were detected between zooplankton abundance in coastal and oceanic zones. Similar patterns were observed for diurnal and nocturnal samplings. The lack of spatial (coastal-oceanic) and temporal (circadian) differences in abundance is probably a result of the type of sampling carried out (surface trawling), which did not allow adequate visualization of the general vertical migration pattern of the zooplanktonic organisms}

Palavras-chave : zooplankton; abundance; biomass; Pacific Ocean; Colombia.