Table 1 All physicochemical and biological variables examined during the study

Physicochemical variables (water quality)

 Temperature (°C)

<0.001

108

29.63 ± 0.29

29.01 ± 0.29

27.82 ± 0.32

28.79 ± 0.35

 Salinity (‰)

<0.001

108

36.10 ± 0.08

36.18 ± 0.05

36.21 ± 0.03

36.20 ± 0.04

 DO (mg l⁻¹)

<0.001

108

4.55 ± 0.04

4.44 ± 0.09

5.14 ± 0.14

5.14 ± 0.09

 pH (pH units)

<0.001

107

8.27 ± 0.01

8.24 ± 0.01

8.24 ± 0.01

8.17 ± 0.01

 Specific conductivity (mS cm⁻¹)

<0.001

108

53.94 ± 0.11

54.51 ± 0.08

54.14 ± 0.04

54.51 ± 0.07

 TDS (ppm)

<0.001

108

34.54 ± 0.07

34.89 ± 0.05

34.89 ± 0.04

34.92 ± 0.04

 Log_{(x + 1)} extinction coefficient

0.031

41

0.53 ± 0.16

0.07 ± 0.01

0.05 ± 0.01

0.04 ± 0.01

 Log_{(x + 1)} turbidity (NTU/mg l⁻¹)

0.164

108

0.87 ± 0.11

0.64 ± 0.12

0.80 ± 0.21

0.14 ± 0.02

 Log_{(x + 1)} ORP (mV)

0.011

108

518 ± 4.91

532 ± 8.80

552 ± 7.39

605 ± 10.43

 Nitrates (μg at l⁻¹)

0.079

108

0.34 ± 0.11

0.31 ± 0.10

0.22 ± 0.06

0.32 ± 0.09

 Phosphates (μg at l⁻¹)

0.027

108

0.09 ± 0.02

0.08 ± 0.01

0.05 ± 0.01

0.07 ± 0.01

 Total chlorophyll a (μg l⁻¹)

<0.001

108

1.001 ± 0.15

0.262 ± 0.02

0.127 ± 0.01

0.081 ± 0.01

Biological variables (zooplankton)

 Mean number of species

<0.001

41

53 ± 1.5

70 ± 1.9

71 ± 1.6

68 ± 1.7

 Total abundance (numbers m⁻³)

<0.001

41

5,963 ± 398

2,251 ± 193

2,491 ± 240

2,150 ± 122

 Calanoida (numbers m⁻³)

<0.001

41

1,497 ± 299

587 ± 80

568 ± 104

338 ± 22

 Cyclopoid (numbers m⁻³)

<0.001

41

375 ± 61

303 ± 30

349 ± 80

275 ± 24

 Harpacticoid (numbers m⁻³)

<0.001

41

33 ± 11

19 ± 9

50 ± 11

44 ± 7

 Larvae (numbers m⁻³)

<0.001

41

2,428 ± 411

930 ± 136

1,058 ± 218

1,480 ± 115

 Decapod (numbers m⁻³)

<0.001

41

102 ± 21

13 ± 1

2 ± .4

8 ± 2

 Log_{(x + 1)} Cladocera (numbers m⁻³)

<0.001

41

289 ± 81

5 ± 2

13 ± 7

5 ± 1

 Log_{(x + 1)} Cnidaria (numbers m⁻³)

<0.001

41

117 ± 31

30 ± 11

17 ± 3

32 ± 5

 Log_{(x + 1)} Larvacea (numbers m⁻³)

0.418

41

566 ± 220

607 ± 143

436 ± 226

225 ± 33

 Log_{(x + 1)} Mollusc (numbers m⁻³)

0.095

41

177 ± 30

140 ± 24

120 ± 16

57 ± 13

 Chaetognath (numbers m⁻³)

0.389

41

56 ± 12

47 ± 6

41 ± 7

33 ± 8