Data on diversity and abundance of zooplanktons along the northern part of the Persian Gulf, Iran.

In this data article, we aimed to evaluate and compare the biological diversity and relative abundance of zooplankton communities in 3 different areas along the northern part of the Persian Gulf in 3 different seasons. Data showed that Centropages spp and Fish larvae were the highest and lowest species among the groups identified in summer in Lavare Saheli and Nakhle Taghi with relative abundances of 87% and 2.7% respectively. In winter, Cyphonautes larvae and Corycaeus spp. were the highest and lowest species in Kangan and Lavare Saheli with relative abundances of 57.1% and 1.88%, respectively. Also Decapoda larvae spp. and Gastropoda larvae were the highest and lowest species in spring in Kangan with relative abundances of 62.5% and 4.7% respectively. Data may serve as benchmarks for other groups working in the field of pollution control, aquatic ecosystem, and toxicology.

Specifications Table

Value of the data

Data can be used as a base-line data for abundance of zooplankton communities in marine environments and understanding industrial activities effects on abundance of these organisms.

Data shown here can be useful for policy makers, managers, and all related stakeholders, companies, agencies, and institutes working in the fields of environment by imposing proper measures to protect environment.

Data shown here may serve as benchmarks for other groups working or studying in the field of pollution control, aquatic ecosystem, and toxicology.

Data

In the data, as shown in Table 1, Table 2, Table 3, taxon and relative abundance of zooplankton samples in different seasons are presented. The results indicated that among the groups identified, Centropages spp and Fish larvae were the highest and lowest species in summer in Lavare Saheli and Nakhle Taghi with relative abundances of 87% and 2.7% respectively. In winter, Cyphonautes larvae and Corycaeus spp. were the highest and lowest species in Kangan and Lavare Saheli with relative abundances of 57.1% and 1.88% respectively. Also resulted showed that Decapoda larvae spp. and Gastropoda larvae were the highest and lowest species in spring in Kangan with relative abundances of 62.5% and 4.7% respectively.

Table 1

The taxon and relative abundance (%) of zooplankton recorded at the studied stations in winter (maximum values are expressed as bold italics; minimum values as bold underlined).

Zooplankton	S1	S2	S3	S4	S5	S6	S7	S8	S9	S10	S11	S12	S13	S14	S15
Copepoda
Copepodites	–	–	11.1	28.6	5.3	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	3.72
Acrocalanus spp.	–	–	–	–	–	15.2	18	51.9	45.3	7.14	16.1	31.8	45.5	7.15	29.6
Acartia spp.	–	–	–	–	–	–	10	7.4	9.43	–	–	4.54	6.04	–	7.45
Temora spp.	–	–	–	–	–	–	5	–	–	–	3.3	9.1	3.01	–	18.5
Corycaeus spp.	–	–	–	–	–	12.1	5	–	1.88	–	–	2.24	–	7.15	7.4
Centropages spp.	36.4	34.2	–	–	–	24.2	23	18.5	15.1	21.4	–	11.4	–	–	22.2
Bivalvia larvae	13.6	–	11.1	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Gastropoda larvae	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	6.04	–	–
Tunicata
Oikopleura sp.	–	–	33.4	28.6	45.3	–	–	–	3.77	–	–	–	–	–	–
Polychaeta larvae	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	1.89	7.18	–	–	–	–	–
Chaetognatha
Sagitta sp.	–	–	–	14.2	11.2	6.06	2.5	–	1.89	–	–	2.28	–	–	–
Bryozoa larvae
Cyphonautes larvae	31.8	40.8	22.2	14.3	–	27.3	20	14.8	11.3	57.1	51.6	18.2	9.1	14.3	7.41
Cirripedia naupllii	–		–	–	–	–	2.5	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Unidentified eggs	9.12	10.38	–	14.3	38.2	9.09	7.5	–	–	–	–	4.54	3.01	–	3.72
Medusa	4.54	6.51	–	–	–	–	2.5	3.7	5.66	–	29	15.9	27.3	71.4	–
Decapoda larvae	–	–	–	–	–	–	5	3.7	1.9	7.18	–	–	–	–	–
Radiolaria	4.54	8.11	22.2	–	–	6.05	–	–	1.89	–	–	–	–	–	–

S1–5=Nakhle Taghi; S6–10=Kangan; S11–15=Lavare Saheli.

Table 2

The taxon and relative abundance (%) of zooplankton recorded at the studied stations in spring (maximum values are expressed as bold italics; minimum values as bold underlined).

Zooplankton	S16	S17	S18	S19	S20	S21	S22	S23	S24	S25	S26	S27	S28	S29	S30
Copepoda
Copepodites	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	20	–	–	–	–
Acrocalanus spp.	27.3	9	30	18.2	–	–	12.5	14.3	–	12.5	20	–	16.7	14.3	25
Temora spp.	–	9.1	–	–	–	–	–	7.1	11.8	–	–	–	–	–	–
Oithona sp.	–	27.3	–	18.2	–	25	–	7.15	17.8	–	–	–	11.1	14.3	8.3
Gastropoda larvae	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	4.7	–
Tunicata
Oikopleura sp.	–	–	–	9.1	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Polychaeta larvae	–	–	5	–	–	–	–	7.1	–	–	–	8.33	–	–	–
Chaetognatha
Sagitta sp.	–	–	–	9.1	12.5	–	–	–	–	–		–	–	–	–
Unidentified eggs	27.3	18.2	40	27.2	25	25	12.5	14.3	29.3	31.3	20	25	27.8	28.6	8.35
Medusa	18.2	18.2	15	9.1	12.5	25	12.5	7.15	5.8	12.6	20	8.34	5.5	4.8	8.33
Decapoda larvae	27.3	18.2	10	9.1	50	25	62.5	42.9	35.3	37.4	20	50	38.9	33.3	50
Fish larvae	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	6.2	–	8.33	–	–	–

S16–20: Nakhle Taghi; S21–25: Kangan; S26–30: Lavare Saheli.

Table 3

The taxon and relative abundance (%) of zooplankton recorded at the studied stations in summer (maximum values are expressed as bold italics; minimum values as bold underlined).

Zooplankton	S31	S32	S33	S34	S35	S36	S37	S38	S39	S40	S41	S42	S43	S44	S45
Copepoda
Acrocalanus spp.	23	5.4	42.9	13	6	20	17	7.54	13	10.9	8.6	7.7	17	4.3	8.6
Acartia spp.	–	5.4	–	–	–	20	5	3.76	–	–	–	5.1	–	–
Centropages spp.	46.2	81.1	42.9	63	75	50	55	71.7	75	70.5	74	74	67	87	82.3
Labidocera sp.	15.4	5.4	14.2	25	13	10	23	17	13	18.6	8.8	5.2	17	8.7	9.1
Medusa	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	4.3	–	–	–	–
Decapoda larvae	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	4.3	5.1	–	–	–
Fish larvae	15.4	2.7	–	–	6	–	–	–	–	–	–	2.9	–	–	–

S31–35: Nakhle Taghi; S36–40: Kangan; S41–45: Lavare Saheli.

Experimental design, materials and methods

Study area description

Three different areas were selected in the northern part of the Persian Gulf, Bushehr province, Iran as sampling points including Nakhle Taghi, Kangan and Lavar-e-Saheli (Fig. 1). Features of the northern part of the Persian Gulf are shallow, limited circulation and high salinity [1]. The time of water turnover in the basin is between 3 and 5 years and shows that pollutants likely to reside in the Persian Gulf for a significant time [2], this has caused the north parts of the Persian Gulf to be much more influenced by contaminations [1]. Also, the former studies in the northern part of the Persian Gulf showed that these areas are affected by pollution [3], [4], [5], [6], [7].

Fig. 1

The geographical location of zooplankton samples from 3 points along the northern part of Persian Gulf map and locations of sampling stations.

Sample collection

Samples were collected from Mar to Aug 2016, at 3 different locations and 5 sampling stations (15 samples from each station) approximately every 2 months along the Persian Gulf in the Bushehr port coastal area. Zooplankton samples were collected by using a Bongo net (mesh: 300 μm) by surface pull and performed at a constant speed (2 knots) during 5 min. Exact coordinates of sampling points are shown in Table 4.

Table 4

Location of zooplankton samples from 3 locations along the Persian Gulf in the Bushehr province.

Region	Site no.	Location
Nakhle Taghi	1	N27°29′02.12′′ E052°34′47.41′′
Nakhle Taghi	2	N27°28′56.48′′ E052°34′37.96′′
Nakhle Taghi	3	N27°28′49.32′′ E052°34′39.98′′
Nakhle Taghi	4	N27°28′52.76′′ E052°34′46.32′′
Nakhle Taghi	5	N27°28′56.01′′ E052°34′53.51′′
Kangan	1	N27°49′31.23′′ E052°03′51.59′′
Kangan	2	N27°49′28.87′′ E052°03′46.35′′
Kangan	3	N27°49′22.52′′ E052°03′41.33′′
Kangan	4	N27°49′30.21′′ E052°03′29.97′′
Kangan	5	N27°49′31.23′′ E052°03′36.28′′
Lavare Saheli	1	N28°17′17.49′′ E051°13′55.32′′
Lavare Saheli	2	N28°17′11.67′′ E051°13′48.12′′
Lavare Saheli	3	N28°17′08.73′′ E051°13′41.94′′
Lavare Saheli	4	N28°17′18.95′′ E051°13′25.55′′
Lavare Saheli	5	N28°17′27.94′′ E051°13′31.67′′

Identification of genus and species of zooplankton

For identification, each sample was condensed into a 1 l plastic bottle by 96% alcohol stabilized and transferred to laboratory. Zooplanktons were enumerated and identified by using a Nikon SMZ1500 (Japan) zoom stereomicroscope and Zooplankton identification guide.

Subject area	Ecology
More specific subject area	Seawater ecology: The abundance of zooplankton in the Persian Gulf
Type of data	Table and figure
How data was acquired	Zooplanktons were identified by using a Nikon SMZ1500 (Japan) zoom stereomicroscope.
Data format	Raw and analyzed
Experimental factors	All samples were collected by using Bongo net (300 μm mesh) by surface tow and a constant speed of 2 knots during 5 min. For identification, each sample was condensed into a 1 l plastic bottle by 96% alcohol stabilized and transferred to laboratory for further study.
Experimental features	Evaluate biological diversity and relative abundance of zooplankton communities in the northern part of the Persian Gulf.
Data source location	Bushehr, northern part of the Persian Gulf, Iran
Data accessibility	Data is with this article.