Seasonal zooplankton fauna of salt evaporation basins in South Australia

Abstract

Salt evaporation basins are important as disposal sites for saline drainage water and groundwater in heavily irrigated areas in Australia and California. Relatively little is known about the zooplankton species composition of such basins. In this study, three evaporation basins in South Australia (Stockyard Plains, Berri and Noora) were sampled seasonally for zooplankton in 1992. Salinities in the basins ranged from 5 to 30 g L^-1. The zooplankton comprised species from inland saline lakes together with some halotolerant species from the River Murray. Notably, several species typical of saline lakes in the region were absent. The zooplankton fauna in all three basins was dominated by microcrustaceans.