Spring mortality of the cyclopoid copepod Oithona similis in polar waters
The cyclopoid copepod Oithona similis is highly abundant and ubiquitous in the marine epipelagic environment, yet rates of mortality in this species have rarely been quantified; indeed we are lacking such measurements for Copepoda in general in cold waters. In the present study we examined O. simili...
Published in: | Marine Ecology Progress Series |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Inter-Research
2008
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/11520/ https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/11520/1/m372p169.pdf |
id |
ftnerc:oai:nora.nerc.ac.uk:11520 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftnerc:oai:nora.nerc.ac.uk:11520 2023-05-15T18:16:01+02:00 Spring mortality of the cyclopoid copepod Oithona similis in polar waters Hirst, A.G. Ward, Peter 2008 text http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/11520/ https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/11520/1/m372p169.pdf en eng Inter-Research https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/11520/1/m372p169.pdf Hirst, A.G.; Ward, Peter. 2008 Spring mortality of the cyclopoid copepod Oithona similis in polar waters. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 372. 169-180. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps07694 <https://doi.org/10.3354/meps07694> Marine Sciences Biology and Microbiology Zoology Ecology and Environment Publication - Article PeerReviewed 2008 ftnerc https://doi.org/10.3354/meps07694 2023-02-04T19:27:25Z The cyclopoid copepod Oithona similis is highly abundant and ubiquitous in the marine epipelagic environment, yet rates of mortality in this species have rarely been quantified; indeed we are lacking such measurements for Copepoda in general in cold waters. In the present study we examined O. similis stage structure, egg production and mortality rates across the Scotia Sea, Southern Ocean, sampling from the ice edge to the Polar Front in the austral spring of 2006, The population stage structure near the retreating ice edge was indicative of a recruitment pulse moving through the younger stages; therefore, the assumptions of the vertical life table (VLT) approach were not met and mortality was not estimated for those stations. At all other stations the assumptions of VLT were largely met, and mortality rates were determined as across-station averages, The highest rates of mortality occurred across the egg to NIT stages at around 0.04 d(-1), falling to < 0.03 d(-1) in subsequent stages, and then increasing again to 0.11. d(-1) across copepod stage V to adult males. The ratio of adult males to females suggested that males have a mortality rate similar to 12 times greater than females (i.e. the adult male to female abundance ratio is 0.08). It is unlikely that these differences can be attributed simply to the males' shorter physiological longevity (longevity when free of predators); the primary cause is likely elevated predation mortality due to the risks associated with mate locating behaviour. Article in Journal/Newspaper Scotia Sea Southern Ocean Natural Environment Research Council: NERC Open Research Archive Austral Scotia Sea Southern Ocean Marine Ecology Progress Series 372 169 180 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Natural Environment Research Council: NERC Open Research Archive |
op_collection_id |
ftnerc |
language |
English |
topic |
Marine Sciences Biology and Microbiology Zoology Ecology and Environment |
spellingShingle |
Marine Sciences Biology and Microbiology Zoology Ecology and Environment Hirst, A.G. Ward, Peter Spring mortality of the cyclopoid copepod Oithona similis in polar waters |
topic_facet |
Marine Sciences Biology and Microbiology Zoology Ecology and Environment |
description |
The cyclopoid copepod Oithona similis is highly abundant and ubiquitous in the marine epipelagic environment, yet rates of mortality in this species have rarely been quantified; indeed we are lacking such measurements for Copepoda in general in cold waters. In the present study we examined O. similis stage structure, egg production and mortality rates across the Scotia Sea, Southern Ocean, sampling from the ice edge to the Polar Front in the austral spring of 2006, The population stage structure near the retreating ice edge was indicative of a recruitment pulse moving through the younger stages; therefore, the assumptions of the vertical life table (VLT) approach were not met and mortality was not estimated for those stations. At all other stations the assumptions of VLT were largely met, and mortality rates were determined as across-station averages, The highest rates of mortality occurred across the egg to NIT stages at around 0.04 d(-1), falling to < 0.03 d(-1) in subsequent stages, and then increasing again to 0.11. d(-1) across copepod stage V to adult males. The ratio of adult males to females suggested that males have a mortality rate similar to 12 times greater than females (i.e. the adult male to female abundance ratio is 0.08). It is unlikely that these differences can be attributed simply to the males' shorter physiological longevity (longevity when free of predators); the primary cause is likely elevated predation mortality due to the risks associated with mate locating behaviour. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Hirst, A.G. Ward, Peter |
author_facet |
Hirst, A.G. Ward, Peter |
author_sort |
Hirst, A.G. |
title |
Spring mortality of the cyclopoid copepod Oithona similis in polar waters |
title_short |
Spring mortality of the cyclopoid copepod Oithona similis in polar waters |
title_full |
Spring mortality of the cyclopoid copepod Oithona similis in polar waters |
title_fullStr |
Spring mortality of the cyclopoid copepod Oithona similis in polar waters |
title_full_unstemmed |
Spring mortality of the cyclopoid copepod Oithona similis in polar waters |
title_sort |
spring mortality of the cyclopoid copepod oithona similis in polar waters |
publisher |
Inter-Research |
publishDate |
2008 |
url |
http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/11520/ https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/11520/1/m372p169.pdf |
geographic |
Austral Scotia Sea Southern Ocean |
geographic_facet |
Austral Scotia Sea Southern Ocean |
genre |
Scotia Sea Southern Ocean |
genre_facet |
Scotia Sea Southern Ocean |
op_relation |
https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/11520/1/m372p169.pdf Hirst, A.G.; Ward, Peter. 2008 Spring mortality of the cyclopoid copepod Oithona similis in polar waters. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 372. 169-180. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps07694 <https://doi.org/10.3354/meps07694> |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3354/meps07694 |
container_title |
Marine Ecology Progress Series |
container_volume |
372 |
container_start_page |
169 |
op_container_end_page |
180 |
_version_ |
1766189424523083776 |