Table 12. (Concluded.) 



(Table 13). Although direct correlations 

 were lacking, there was a strong positive 

 relationship between salinity and 

 diversity. Temperature and salinitv had 

 no significant effect (at the 0.05 level) 

 on the various dependent variables in East 

 Bay or coastal areas. 



Coastal areas are physically stable 

 when compared to the estuary; salinity 

 varies little throughout the year in the 

 offshore systems. In such areas, 

 zooplankton standing crop is generally 

 higher than that in East Bay. Hiversitv 

 tends to increase because Acartia averages 



The general lack of definitive 

 statistical relationships between 

 individual zooplankton indicators or 

 indices and dominant physical variables 

 such as temperature and salinity reflects 

 the considerable diel, seasonal, and 

 annual variability in the distribution of 

 zooDlankton in the estuary. Other factors 

 ^iTQ. almost certainly important to such 

 distribution during various periods o^^ the 

 year. Peaks o^ zooplankton biomass tend 

 to be associated in some way with 

 ohytODl ankton peaks, especially in 

 Apalachicola Bay and coastal areas (Figure 

 2fi). Predator-orev relationshios may play 

 an important role in zooplankton 

 distribution and abundance throughout the 

 year. Such trends are obviously affected 

 by habitat differences, however. The 

 relatively small East Bav is characterized 

 by low salinity and high sedimentation and 

 turbidity. Salinitv changes, derived 

 largely from river flow and storm-water 

 runoff, are raoid. Most of the oeaks of 

 zooplankton abundance correspond to 

 salinity increases in this area. The 

 copepod Acarti a tonsa has a maior 

 influence on abundance curves and 

 diversity indices in East Bay; it averages 

 92''^ of the zooplankton taken throughout 

 the year. 



E 80+ 



CO 



CO 

 < 



2 60+ 



CD 



z 

 o 



40- • 



Q. 

 O 

 O 

 M 



O 



20 



■»- PHYTOPL AN KTON 

 PEAKS 



* — * EAST BAY 



• — • COAST 



 _■ APALACHICOLA 

 BAY 



\ 



NDJ FMAMJJ ASOND 



MONTH 



Figure 26. Seasonal distribution of 

 zooplankton biomass in the Apalachicola 

 estuary and associated coastal areas 

 during 1974 (after Edmisten 1979). 



45 



