TITLE:
The Influence of Climate Variability on Holoplanktonic Polychaetes Populations of Ocean Sector of the Colombian Pacific Basin
AUTHORS:
José Manuel Gutiérrez-Salcedo, Adibe Cárdenas-Oliva, Néstor H. Campos
KEYWORDS:
Temperature, Chlorophyll, Oceanic Province, Tropical Region, El Niño Southern Oscillation—ENOS
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Ecology,
Vol.11 No.4,
April
13,
2021
ABSTRACT: Studies of holoplanktonic polychaetes in the Tropical Eastern Pacific have focused on their systematics and distribution however, population responses related to climate variability are non-existent. Therefore, the present work described for the first time the influence of the climatic variability 2004-2012 on the holoplanktonic polychaetes populations, as well as their relationship to environmental variables. Species of the Alciopidae, Lopadorrhynchidae and Iospilidae families were identified from 85 samples collected in the Pacific Basin of Colombia, contrasting them with the presence of ENSO, and correlating them with the environmental variables of temperature, salinity and chlorophyll-α concentration. Of the 14 species identified, only Lopadorrhynchus cf. henseni and L. cf. brevis increased their densities under El Ni?o and correlated positively with temperature. Rhynchonereella cf. petersii correlated negatively with temperature; while R. cf. gracilis and Pelagobia cf. longicirrata were positively correlated with chlorophyll-α concentration and salinity, respectively. Additionally, with the first description of the environmental ranges of the 14 species identified for the Colombian Pacific basin, it was found that the most commons species presented broader environmental ranges. The results from the current research are consistent with previous studies in other regions of the Pacific and latitudes. The responses of the organisms suggest trophic and mobility trends that were not known for tropical holoplanktonic polychaete species.