Environmental Impacts on Zooplankton Functional Diversity in Brackish Semi-Enclosed Gulf

Zooplankton as an essential component in the pelagic food web are directly linked to ecosystem functioning. Therefore, comprehension of zooplankton functional diversity (FD) and its responses environmental changes is crucial for ecosystem-based view. To identify FD drivers, we analysed 25 years summer data on brackish mesozooplankton community (including rotifers, cladocerans, copepods, meroplankton) from eutrophied, shallow Gulf Riga (Baltic Sea). We established that within Riga, open waters notably different coastal regions based dynamics hydrological conditions (temperature, salinity), cyanobacterial dominance, abundance groups, indices. Competition over resources combination with hydrodynamic features predation by adult herring were seemingly central structuring mechanism behind metrics (richness, evenness, divergence, dispersion) communities. Whereas young was important driver only communities waters. Cyanobacterial used a proxy quality availability, had no effect metrics.