Rhena Schumann Universität Rostock; Biologische Station Zingst Research Assistant

Mühlenstraße 27, 18374 Zingst Zingst Mecklenburg-Vorpommern 18374 DE

rhena.schumann@uni-rostock.de https://www.bio-station-zingst.de Universität Rostock datenmanagement@uni-rostock.de https://www.uni-rostock.de 2026-05-27 eng Monitoring of zooplankton communities was conducted in Zingst Bay on behalf of University of Rostock to characterize temporal dynamics and community composition within the coastal basin. The sampling strategy was designed to capture both quantitative and qualitative aspects of the zooplankton assemblage across monthly intervals. On a single day of each month, two complementary water samples were collected. A 1 L “full sample” was obtained to provide a quantitative representation of the ambient zooplankton community. In parallel, a 5 L “net sample” was collected and concentrated using a plankton net to enhance the detection of less abundant or larger-bodied organisms that may be underrepresented in smaller volumes. The monitored taxa comprise a broad spectrum of zooplankton groups, including copepods (e.g., Eurytemora affinis, Acartia tonsa, Temora), cladocerans (e.g., Bosmina, Daphnia-like taxa such as Diaphanosoma), rotifers (e.g., Keratella, Brachionus, Filinia, Polyarthra), and various meroplanktonic larvae such as polychaete larvae, as well as early life stages of mollusks (bivalves and gastropods). This taxonomic diversity reflects the transitional nature of the ecosystem, where marine and freshwater influences shape the zooplankton community. Samples were analyzed using optical microscopy, allowing identification based on morphological characteristics. The combination of full and net sampling approaches enables a more comprehensive assessment of both dominant and rare taxa, supporting robust ecological interpretation of seasonal patterns and environmental responses. These data contribute to long-term monitoring efforts aimed at understanding zooplankton dynamics in coastal systems and their role in trophic interactions and ecosystem functioning within Zingst Bay. biodiversity marine Zingst Zooplankton Local keywords Samplingevent GBIF Dataset Type Vocabulary: http://rs.gbif.org/vocabulary/gbif/dataset_type_2015-07-10.xml marine, harvested by the University of Rostock. To the extent possible under law, the publisher has waived all rights to these data and has dedicated them to the Public Domain (CC0 1.0). Users may copy, modify, distribute and use the work, including for commercial purposes, without restriction. Creative Commons Zero v1.0 Universal https://spdx.org/licenses/CC0-1.0.html CC0-1.0 Zingst Bay, a coastal lagoon located in the southern Baltic Sea region of Germany, characterized by its brackish water conditions and dynamic ecological interactions between freshwater and marine environments. 12.5 13 54.5 54 2012-01-10 2018-12-18 The dataset comprises a taxonomically diverse assemblage of zooplankton, including representatives from the classes Copepoda (copepods), Branchiopoda (cladocerans), Monogononta and Bdelloidea (rotifers), as well as meroplanktonic larvae of Polychaeta (annelids) and Bivalvia and Gastropoda (mollusks). Class Copepoda, Branchiopoda, Monogononta, Bdelloidea, Polychaeta, Bivalvia, Gastropoda Support long-term monitoring of zooplankton community composition and seasonal dynamics in Zingst Bay. This dataset documents monthly zooplankton sampling in Zingst Bay, combining quantitative full-water samples with qualitative net hauls to capture both abundant and rare taxa. The dataset is intended to support ecological analyses of temporal trends, community structure, and coastal ecosystem change. unknown Universität Rostock; Biologische Station Zingst bio.stationzingst@uni-rostock.de https://www.bio-station-zingst.de 2026-04-30T22:00:03.376+00:00 dataset Schumann, R. (2026). Zooplankton monitoring in Zingst Bay. University of Rostock Monitoring Reports.