Zooplankton and phytoplankton from Galveston Bay: Taxonomic distribution and coexistence with Vibrio parahaemolyticus

Abstract

Taxonomic distribution and V. parahaemolyticus count of 36 samples of zooplankton and 4 samples of phytoplankton are presented. In nearly all samples, immature forms of zooplankton accounted for>50% of the zooplankton population; Nitzschia, Coscinodiscus, Navicula and Thalassiosira spp were present in each of the 4 phytoplankton samples. Mean V. parahaemolyticus counts (MPN/g) of 7,500 and 670 were detected in zooplankton and phytoplankton, respectively