International Science Community Association International Research Journal of Biological Sciences 2278 - 3202 5 12 2016 12 10 Zooplankton Composition and Distribution in Relationship with Environmental Parameters in a Tropical Coastal Lagoon (Ebrié lagoon: Aghien, Côte d’Ivoire) 1 12 EN N.M. Aka 1 Oceanological Research Center (Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire), BPV 18, Abidjan R.N. Etilé 2 Hydrobiology Laboratory, UFR Biosciences, University Félix HOUPHOUËT-BOIGNY (Côte d’Ivoire), 22 BP 582 Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire F.K. Konan 3 Department of Environment, University Jean Lorougnon Guédé, BP 150 Daloa, Côte d’Ivoire Y.K. Bony 4 Department of Environment, University Jean Lorougnon Guédé, BP 150 Daloa, Côte d’Ivoire > Research Paper 2016 10 19 2016 12 10 The zooplankton community of Aghien lagoon was studied between October 2014 and April 2015. This study mostly focused on the spatial and temporal distribution, composition and abundance of zooplankton in this lagoon. Fifty-nine zooplankton taxa including 33 Rotifera, 12 Cladocera, 11 Copepoda and 3 others zooplankton taxa were inventoried in Aghien lagoon during this study. Zooplankton community obtained during this study includes 21 families and 33 genuses, in addition to unidentified harpacticoids, copepods nauplii, euphausiacea, chironomid and gasteropods larvae. Aghien lagoon zooplankton community was characterized by Rotifera dominance (Mean: 50.64 % of the total zooplankton abundance), followed by Copepoda (Mean: 43.68 %). Zooplankton community in Aghien lagoon was mainly dominated by taxa of genus Lecane (Mean abundance: 8.22 ind.l-1; 15.63 % of zooplankton total abundance) and Mesocyclops (7.98 ind.l-1; 15.17 %). Community composition and abundance showed seasonal and spatial variation. Zooplankton richness was significantly (ANOVA, p < 0.05) higher more important during the dry season (36-48 taxa) than during the rainy season (26-30 taxa). Total abundance of zooplankton in Aghien lagoon during the dry season (46.26-78.4 ind.l-1) was higher than the one of the rainy season (13.51-80.87 ind.l-1). Multivariate analyses (RDA) revealed that zooplankton community composition and abundance variations were mainly controlled by Aghien lagoon environmental parameters especially water conductivity, turbidity, pH, temperature and nutrients. Copyright@ International Science Community Association