author(s)
SM Waghade, DT Vaghela, UA Suryawanshi, KS Sukhdane and A Hodar

abstract
The present study was conducted on qualitative & quantitative analysis of zooplankton along Veraval coast. At a time of high tide, 100 liter of surface seawater was collected from two different sites in a month. The collected water was filtered two times with zooplankton net of >0.2 µm mesh size. After the sampling, the fixation of samples was carried out. Total 17 groups of marine zooplankton were identified such as Copepod, Decapods, Foraminiferan, Cladocerans, Ostracodes, Amphipods, Isopods, Nematods, Branchiopods, Gastropod, Salps, Rotifer, Chetognata, Appendicularians, Siphanophora, Polycheata, and Itchthyoplanktons and also other larvae and unknown species. A number of species diversity and abundance was recorded such as copepods followed by Decapods and Itchthyoplanktons at both the stations. Total 76 species of marine zooplankton was obtained from coastal waters at Jhaleshwar and Bhidia, Fourty species belonging to 17 orders, were recorded throughout the study period at Jhaleshwar coast whereas thirty six species of zooplankton belonging to 16 orders, were recorded at Bhidia coast. The diversity of zooplankton was generally higher in the month of monsoon and post monsoon season than pre-monsoon season at both the stations. The zooplankton diversity at Jhaleshwar and Bhidia coast was almost similar. There was no significant difference in the availability of species at both the stations expect M. gracillis obtained from Bhidia coast which was absent at Jhaleshwar coast.