Champalbert,-G.  Plankton inhabiting the surface layer of the 
	southern and southwestern lagoon of New Caledonia.  
	MAR.-BIOL. 1993. vol. 115, no. 2, pp. 223-228.

In the southern and southwestern coral reef lagoon of New 
Caledonia and the adjacent oceanic waters, 42 neuston samples 
were collected from the upper surface layer (0 to 10 cm) 
along nine transects from the coast to the coral barrier reef 
and the open ocean immediately beyond the reef, in March and 
April 1979. These was a progressive numerical decrease in 
zooplankton densities from the coast to the reef and from the 
reef to the open sea. Generally,  similar to 80 to 95% of the 
surface plankton consisted of holoplankton and  similar to 5 
to 20% of meroplankton. Zooplankton was very abundant in 
littoral bays with a marked eutrophication. In a few samples 
collected in very shallow waters close to coral patches, 
cladocerans were numerous and constituted up to 75% of the 
total plankton, whilst in other samples collected above 
greater depths, copepods made up  similar to 60 to 85% of the 
total plankton.