Volume 26, Issue 78, July - December, 2025

Day-Night Composition, Abundance and Distribution of Zooplankton Groups from Mertang Archipelago, Johor, Malaysia

B. Zokerefli Azwa-Liza¹, B. Che Suhaimi Che-Alia-Syakila¹, B. Abdul Rahim Azman^1,2♦

¹Department of Earth Sciences and Environment, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Malaysia
²Marine Ecosystem Research Centre (EKOMAR), Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia

^♦Corresponding Author
Azman Abdul Rahim; Department of Earth Sciences and Environment, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43200 Bangi, Malaysia

ABSTRACT

This study was conducted around the waters of Mertang Archipelago, Johor, Malaysia. This study aims to characterize the composition, abundance, and distribution of various zooplankton groups throughout day and night along the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Samples were collected using a 140 μm mesh size plankton net and towed vertically from 6 stations during the inter-monsoon season of 2024. The results indicated that zooplankton taxa were most abundant during the daytime (n=49) compared to night-time (n=41). However, at most locations, except for ST6, zooplankton diversity was generally higher at night than during the day. Copepods are the most abundant group in the study area, making up about 75% of the total zooplankton population during the day and 64% during the night. Additionally, the dominant copepod species recorded during the two periods differed, with Euterpina spp. dominating at night and Parvocalanus spp. dominating during the day. The variation in the zooplankton diversity index between day and night was minimal across all sites, with the majority of zooplankton taxa exhibiting a significantly greater diversity at night.

Keywords: South China Sea, Zooplankton, Biodiversity, Zooplankton, Mertang Archipelago, Johor.

Species, 2025, 26(78), e34s3161

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi.v26i78.e34s3161

Published: 03 August 2025