EN
Mesozooplankton communities were studied monthly at six sites in the Gulf of Finland during six ice-free seasons. The abundances of different zooplankton taxa were related to temperature, salinity, eutrophication level (total nitrogen and phosphorus), phytoplankton (Chl a) and density of predatory cladocerans, including the non-indigenous Cercopagis pengoi and the native Leptodora kindtii. T he results indicated that variability in the zooplankton communities was correlated not only with predation by mesozooplankton but also with bottom-up effects. Predation by the non-indigenous C. pengoi may significantly affect the dynamics of Cladocera and Rotatoria in the Gulf of Finland during the summer season.