First observations on zooplankton and optical properties in a glacial North Patagonian lake (Tagua Tagua Lake, 41°S Chile)

The Patagonian lakes are of glacial origin and some of these are associated with glaciers that generate specific optical properties such as water colorations due to glacier sediments. These lakes also are oligotrophic with a low crustacean zooplankton species number. The aim of the present study was to analyze potential associations between optical properties and zooplankton communities in Tagua Tagua Lake (41°S). The results revealed inverse associations in reflectance of bands 3 and 7 of LANDSAT TM+ with Daphnia ambigua, Mesocyclops araucanus, and nauplius, and direct Neobosmina chilensis and Cyclopoids copepodites, whereas it was inverse relations between bands 5 and 2 with B. gracilipes and calanoid copepodites that make this zooplankton assemblage similar to Nord Patagonian oligomesotrophic lakes. These results would agree with few reports for other similar Patagonian lakes of glacial origin reported for Argentinean and Chilean Patagonia. Nevertheless, it is necessary for more studies to find potential associations between limnological characters and optical properties.