Abstract
The spatial distribution and composition of the mesozooplankton community in the southeastern Barents Sea were observed at 17 stations, from 12 to 28 July 2002. Six taxa of zooplankton were found, including tintinnids, copepods, cumaceans, appendicularians, polychaetes, and barnacle larvae. Copepods were dominant, comprising 74% of the community. The copepod species Limnocalanus grimaldii, Pseudocalanus acuspes, Calanus glacialis, Calanus finmarchicus, and Microsetella norvegica, and the cumacean species Diastylis rathkei and Campylaspis rubicunda were identified. The overall mean abundance of the zooplankton was 72 indiv.l0 $\mu \textrm m^{-3}$ in the study area, ranging from 4 to 197 indiv.l0$\mu \textrm m^{-3}$. Zooplankton was more abundant at the oceanic than the coastal stations. The highest biomass measured was 97.4mg $\mu \textrm m^{-3}$, the mean biomass was 36.9 mg 10$\mu \textrm m^{-3}$, 93% of which was copepods. Pseudocalanus acuspes, C. glacialis, and C. finmarchicus predominated, accounting for 61% of abundance and 86% of biomass. Spatial distributions of the zooplankton community in the study area depended on the variations in water temperature and salinity, which were influenced by freshwater runoff from the continent.
