Alternative conditions of mass appearance of the scyphozoan jellyfish, &lt;i&gt;Aurelia aurita&lt;/i&gt; (Linnaeus, 1758), and the ctenophore, &lt;i&gt;Pleurobrachia pileus&lt;/i&gt; (O.F. Muller, 1776), in plankton of the Black Sea
Journal: South of Russia ecology development
Year: 2020

Aim . The aim of the study is to find out what external factors may be the driving force behind the growth and population dynamics of two ecologically similar species of gelatinous macroplankton (scyphomedusa Aurelia aurita and ctenophore Pleurobrachia pileus ), which play an important role in the functioning of the pelagic ecosystem of the Black Sea. Material and Methods . The state of zooplankton populations was estimated by data obtained in 2000 ‐ 2014 in the outer shelf of Sevastopol Bay, wh