Empirical relationships between phytoplankton and zooplankton biomass in Indian Ocean

Abstract

Empirical models based on regression analysis are derived using published values of phytoplankton and crustacean zooplankton biomass from Indian Ocean. Three regression models are derived. There is significant correlation between zooplankton and temperature, zooplankton and phytoplankton, zooplankton and PO₄-P and phytoplankton and PO₄-P. Linear regression model is found to be significant at 1% level of significance. Since zooplankton and phytoplankton are significantly positively correlated, zooplankton biomass can be predicted from the phytoplankton biomass using this model. Using multiple regression model it is found that at lower and medium levels, temperature is the prominent factor and at higher level it being PO₄-P followed by phytoplankton, at all levels of concentration of phytoplankton. At the higher level of phytoplankton production ecological efficiency reaches its asymptotic value and almost remains a constant for further increase.