International Science Community Association Research Journal of Recent Sciences 2277 - 2502 1 5 2012 May 2 Zooplankton Composition in Dahanu Creek-West Coast of India 62 65 EN Bhattacharya Anjanabha 1 Plant and Crop Sciences Division, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough LE12 5RD, UK 2BBIO, Jai Research Foundation, Vapi, Gujarat, INDIA Power JohnB. 2 DaveyMicheal R. 3 Kanife U.C. 1 Department of Biological Sciences, Yaba College of Technology P.M.B 2011, Yaba Lagos, NIGERIA Odesanmi O.S. 2 Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine University of Lagos, NIGERIA Adekunle A.A. 3 Department of Botany, University of Lagos, NIGERIA Doherty V.F. 4 Department of Biological Sciences, Yaba College of Technology P.M.B 2011, Yaba Lagos, NIGERIA Bobade S.N. 1 Indian Biodiesel Corporation, Baramati Tal- Baramati, Dist- Pune, INDIA Khyade V.B. 2 Shardabai Pawar Mahila College, Shardanagar Tal – Baramati, Dist. Pune, INDIA Okoli L.U. 1 Department of Physics, Federal College of Education, Technical, Umunze, NIGERIA Ozuomba J.O. 2 Department of Physics and Industrial Physics, Madonna University, Elele, NIGERIA Ekpunobi A.J. 3 Department of Physics and Industrial Physics, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, NIGERIA Ekwo P.I. 4 Islam M.A. 1 Graduate Training Institute, Bangladesh Agricultural University, BANGLADESH Begum S. 2 Department of Crop Botany, Faculty of Agriculture, Bangladesh Agricultural University, BANGLADESH Nakaba S. 3 Faculty of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, JAPAN Funada R. 4 HiremathDeepa B. 1 Department of Agricultural Economics, Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh, INDIA Shiyani R.L. 2 Isitua C.C. 1 Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Benin, P.M.B. 1154, Benin City, Edo State, NIGERIA Igbinidu O.F. 2 Imariabe O.J. 3 Mehdi Safdari 1 Department of Economics, University of Qom, IRAN RamzanGholami Avati 2 Department of Management, Payame Noor University, Ghaemshahr, IRAN S. Ariponnammal 1 Department of Physics, Gandhigram Rural Institute, Gandhigram, Dindigul District Tamil Nadu, INDIA Kadam S.S. 1 N.B. Mehta Science college, Bordi, Tal., Dahanu, Dist., Thane, MS, INDIA Tiwari L.R. 2 Maharshi Dayanand College Parel, Mumbai MS, INDIA > Short Communication 2012 1 31 2012 May 2 The distribution and faunistic composition of zooplankton was studied during November 2008 and October 2009 from Dahanu creek- west coast of India. Geographical location of Dahanu is 190 58’ N and 720 44’E .Total 21 group of zooplankton were observed during the study period. Maximum species diversity was observed at station 1 (in open sea) and minimum at station 5 (in creek). Zooplankton biomass varied from 65.40 to 120.80 ml .100 m-3(average 80.94 ml. 100 m-3 )in the outer creek and 12.50 to 64.30 ml.100 m-3( average 29.62 ml. 100 m-) in the inner creek area . Zooplankton biomass was highest in October at all stations however low biomass was recorded in July when the salinity decreased considerably. The dry weight of zooplankton ranged from 3.965 to 11.830 gr.100 m-3 (average 7.496 gr.100 m-3 ) in outer creek and 1.280 to 5.932 gr.100 m-3 (average 3.005 gr.100 m-3 ) in inner creek area .The dry wet of zooplankton was maximum in October at all the stations and was minimum in July. Copepods, decapod larvae, egg mass, fish eggs, fish larvae, polychaete larvae, hydrozoans, tintinnids and chethognaths formed dominant groups of total zooplankton population. Copyright@ International Science Community Association