Diatom fatty acid biomarkers indicate growth rates in Antarctic krill

Pond, D.W.; Atkinson, A.; Shreeve, R.S.; Tarling, G.A.; Ward, P.. 2005 Diatom fatty acid biomarkers indicate growth rates in Antarctic krill. Limnology and Oceanography, 50 (2). 732-736.

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Abstract/Summary

We investigated the relationship between nutritional condition (levels of specific fatty acids) and growth increment (percentage growth per intermoult period, percentage IMP-1) for Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) collected from the vicinity of South Georgia in the austral summer 2002. There were correlations between percentage IMP-1 and the concentration (gram: gram dry weight) of the diatom biomarker fatty acids, 16: 4(n-1) and 20: 5(n-3) in tissues of individual krill, suggesting that the abundance of diatoms in the environment of the krill in the intermoult period prior to moulting was a key determinant of change in body length, a proxy for growth. This substantiates the view that diatoms are crucial for supporting high growth rates of krill, either as a direct food source or, indirectly, by enhancing production of microzooplankton and mesozooplankton based food webs.

Item Type:	Article
Programmes:	BAS Programmes > Antarctic Science in the Global Context (2000-2005) > Dynamics and Management of Ocean Ecosystems
ISSN:	00243590
Additional Keywords:	Euphausia superba;
NORA Subject Terms:	Marine Sciences Zoology Biology and Microbiology Ecology and Environment
Date made live:	04 Aug 2010 13:21
URI:	http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/10192

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