(Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 1978-05)
Grice, George D.; Gibson, Victoria R.
Quantitative phytoplankton (31 samples) and zooplankton (23 samples)
collections were made throughout the Persian Gulf and at several places
in the Gulf of Oman in spring 1977. In addition, 34 neuston tows were
made in these areas. Approximately 100 species of phytoplankton were
identified. Their numerical abundance ranged from 200 to 42,000 cells
per liter. Diatoms were the most diverse taxa while coccolithophores
were generally the dominant species numerically. Zooplankton biomass
ranged from .11 to 2.00 cc/m3 and .52 to 2.27 cc/m3 in the Persian Gulf
and Gulf of Oman respectively. Significantly higher volumes were recorded
from the Gulf of Oman. The numerical abundance of zooplankton
varied from 79 to 5098/m3. Copepods comprised more than 50% of the zooplankton
in over one-half of the collections from the Persian Gulf.
Higher zooplankton volumes occurred in the Central Persian Gulf. There
was no significant differences in the quantities of zooplankton between
day and night. Fourteen species of pontellid copepods were identified
in neuston samples from the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, including
10 species that represent new records for the Persian Gulf. Information
on tar balls are summarized in an Appendix to this report.
