Mirjana Najdek
Summary:
Fatty acids were analysed in zooplankton samples, collected monthly with sediment traps, in the northeastern Adriatic Sea in the period from April 1991 to June 1992. Fatty acid compositions (SAT 22.33%-67.96%; MONO 19.61%-39.22%; POLY 5.57%-49.05%) and concentrations (2.29 mg/g - 46.52 mg/g), and the Pr/C17 ratio (0.5-26.6) varied significantly, depending on the season. The observed variations were related to food availability and quality. Unusually low fatty acid concentrations (2.29-5.14 mg/g), POLY proportions (5.57%-5.67%) and Pr/Cl7 ratios (0.49-0.72), measured in summer 1991, can be ascribed to the zooplankton complete starvation during a period of hypertrophic appearance of mucilaginous, gelatinous aggregates.
("Ruder Boskovic" Institute Zagreb, Center for Marine Research Rovinj, 52210 Rovinj, Croatia)
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