Original Articles

RELATIVELY NEGATIVE δ¹³C RATIOS OF MESOZOOPLANKTON IN THE SUNDAYS RIVER ESTUARY, COMMENTS ON POTENTIAL CARBON SOURCES

Published in: Southern African Journal of Aquatic Sciences
Volume 21 , issue 1-2 , 1995 , pages: 71–77

DOI: 10.1080/10183469.1995.9631363

Author(s): H.L. Jerling Department of Zoology, South Africa , T.H. Wooldridge Department of Zoology, South Africa

Keywords: Stable isotopes , δ¹³C , zooplankton , mysids , copepods , estuary , foodweb

Abstract

Mesozooplankton, submergent and fringing macrophytes and particles suspended in the water column in the Sundays River estuary South Africa were analyzed for δ¹³C isotope ratios. Highly negative values (−28.3‰ to −32.0‰) for the mesozooplankton species suggest the possibility of phytoplankton rather than detritus derived from macrophytes as carbon source.

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