Inter-annual variation of rotifer biomass in two coastal lagoons of the Southern Baltic differing by degree of trophy

Abstract

We present long-term data on rotifer biomass and its inter-annual variation in the Darss-Zingst estuary and the Vistula Lagoon, South Baltic Sea coast. The two water bodies showed a similar pattern with respect to the dominance structure of the rotifer community, though in the more eutrophic Darss-Zingst estuary there was always a more pronounced summer peak. It was also concluded that there was no simple coincidence between variation patterns of rotifer biomass and such environmental factors as water temperature and salinity, and that a more complex explanation for these variations should be sought.