In this study, the variation of seasonal and inter-annual density and diversity of the copepod community in the Parque Nacional Sistema Arrecifal Veracruzano (PNSAV) was analysed. Samples were collected under nortes, rainy and dry weather conditions in 2011, as well as under nortes and dry weather conditions in 2012 and 2013 in four transects. Surface trawls with 330-mu m conical nets were made. The temperature, salinity and dissolved oxygen were measured in situ. The values obtained were 23.07 +/- 0.53 to 29.29 +/- 0.27 degrees C for temperature, 33.43 +/- 0.49 to 35.91 +/- 0.09 for salinity, and 2.52 +/- 0.08 to 6.56 +/- 0.08 mg l(-1) for dissolved oxygen. The copepods collected belonged to 19 families, 28 genera and 62 species. Copepods represented between 69.74% and 76.79% of the abundance of crustaceans present in zooplankton. The highest number of copepods occurred under nortes weather conditions in 2011 with 401,885 +/- 28,092 copepods/100 m(3) of the species Temora stylifera. In 2012, 256,325 +/- 76,872 copepods/100 m(3) of the species Paracalanus aculeatus were obtained and in 2013, 311,526 +/- 76,872 copepods/100 m(3) of the species T. turbinata. The highest specific richness was found in the southern zone with 28 species. In 2013 the highest density was found in the northern zone with 100,323 +/- 28,888 copepods/100 m(3). The highest diversity was found under dry weather conditions in 2011 with 3.71 bits/individual. In the 3 years of study, 24 species were dominant; 12 of these, appeared in the 3 years of sampling: T. stylifera, T. turbinata, Labidocera scotti, P. aculeatus, O. latus, Pontellopsis villosa, Centropages velificatus, Parvocalanus crassirostris, Corycaeus speciosus, Undinula vulgaris, Oithona plumifera, and Farranula gracilis. Canonical correlation analysis showed the formation of five groups explained by the neritic or oceanic affinity of the species and their tolerance to changes in salinity or temperature.
