https://commons.ru.ac.za/vital/access/manager/Index ${session.getAttribute("locale")} 5 https://commons.ru.ac.za/vital/access/manager/Repository/vital:10697 Wed 12 May 2021 18:32:28 SAST ]]> https://commons.ru.ac.za/vital/access/manager/Repository/vital:5263 20 orders and >35 families. The copepod Pseudodiaptomus hessei dominated (59 %) the zooplankton and occurred in similar densities to those observed in other South African estuaries. Larval fish and zooplankton varied across seasons, peaking simultaneously in summer although zooplankton showed additional density peaks during the closed phase of some estuaries. Both plankton components were more abundant in the oligohaline and mesohaline zones within the estuaries. Freshwater input, estuary type and the biogeography of the area influenced the composition and structure of larval fish and zooplankton assemblages in these estuaries. The findings suggest that the estuaries are functioning as successful breeding areas for the larvae of endemic estuary-resident fish species and that these estuaries have to be managed to ensure an adequate freshwater supply to maintain the biological integrity of the ecosystem, specially the maintenance of the highly productive River-Estuary Interface (REI) regions.]]> Wed 12 May 2021 15:56:36 SAST ]]>