Subject (Materia)
Plankton ecology
Module II: Zooplankton
Faculty (Facoltà)
Scienze
Course od Study (Corso
Biologia ed Ecologia Marina
di Laurea)
Teacher (Docente)
Prof. Zagami Giacomo
Contacts
Address (indirizzo): Dip. Biologia Animale ed Ecologia Marina, Contrada Sperone
(Coordinate)
- Salita Papardo, 98166 Messina
Phone (telefono): 0039 090-6765535
Fax:
0039 090 393409
E-Mail: giacomo.zagami@unime.it
Workload
32
(Durata del Corso in ore)
Credits (Crediti CFU)
3
Pre-requisites
None
(Pre requisiti)
Course Description
(Descrizione del Corso)
Introduction to zooplankton
1h theory
Zooplanktonic organisms definition – Short historical outlines on
zooplankton studies and actual state of the research.
Zooplankton community
3h theory
Zooplankton taxonomy – Zooplakton community structure – zooplankton
species composition.
Zooplankton sampling
2h theory
Zooplankton sampling nets: mechanical and electronic nets – Strategy and
methods on zooplankton sampling.
Spatial heterogeneity of zooplankton population
4h theory
Zooplankton spatio-temporal distribution – Neritic and pelagic
zooplankton communities – Zooplankton seasonal distribution –
Zooplankton vertical migration – Zooplanktonic indicators
Life and productivty in the marine zooplankton
3h theory
Energy flow and organic matter cycle in the marine ecosystem – The
trophic position of zooplankton – Ecological efficiency between epi and
batypelagic marine ecosystems – Phyto-zooplankton and fishes relations –
Deep scattering layer.
Marine pollution
1h theory
Effects of the toxic substances of natural and anthropical origin on
zooplankton populations.
Mediterranean Sea
2h theory
The zooplankton of the Mediterranean Sea – Relation between AtlanticIndo-Pacific and Mediterranean zooplankton populations – Zooplankton
peculiarity of the Messina Strait.
Zooplankton sampling of the Ganzirri Lake
Excursion to the Ganzirri Lake.
2h practice
Laboratory analisys
8h practice
Zooplankton quali-quantitative analisys by optical microscope –
Zooplankton biomass analisys: Dry weight, wet weight and ash free dry
weight.
Computer data analisys
6h practice
Computer data elaboration – Tables and Figures production – Results and
discussion of the Ganzirri Lake zooplankton samples data.
Structure of the
Written (Scritto)
Oral (Orale) 
assessment
(Modalità dell’ esame)
Bibliography
Ghirardelli Elvezio – La vita nelle acque. Ed. UTET.
(Testi adottati)
Margalef Ramon – Western Mediterranean. Ed. Pergamon Press.
Further information
(Note)