Environmental influences on zooplankton diversity in the Kavaratti lagoon and offshore, Lakshadweep Archipelago, India

Abstract The present study aimed to analyse the influence of physico-chemical properties on zooplankton assemblages and species diversity in a lagoon system. The study was carried out in coral reef lagoon of Kavaratti Island, Lakshadweep Archipelago, India during the monsoon of the year 2017. Zooplankton assemblages, distributed among 56 taxonomic units, were found to be dominated by copepods (63.27%, 34 taxa) followed by cladocerans (11.14%, 7 taxa), ostracods (9.87%, 2 taxa), ciliates (6.23%, 6 taxa), chaetognaths (4.32%, 3 taxa), leptomedusae, (1.25%, 1 taxa), and appendicularians (3.92%, 3 taxa). Copepods assemblages showed maximum density of 14326 ind m−3 from S1, in which leptomedusea was the lowest abundant taxa (284 ind m−3). Shannon–Wiener-index between 3.725–3.860 attested to the fact that the species diversity and richness predominated in lagoon than that in offshore. Canonical Correspondence Analysis revealed the environmental parameters influencing the abundance and occurrence zooplankton community in the study area.