Secondary Production of Microcopepods in the Southern, Eutrophic Basin of Kaneohe Bay, Oahu, Hawaiian Islands

Abstract

The microcopepods function as an important herbivorous group in the planktonic community of the southern, sewage-rich portion of Kaneohe Bay, Oahu, Hawaiian Islands. Most of the microcopepod biomass was composed of a rapidly producing species of Paracalanidae. The Paracalanidae population production rate was calculated with the field population stage composition, the length: dry weight relationship, and the species development rate in both laboratory and in situ containers. The population production rate: biomass ratio equalled 78 percent per day during summer 1968. For all of the microcopepods, secondary production was estimated to be 1.8 mg nitrogen/m3/day.