Oithona similis in a high latitude ecosystem: abundance, distribution and temperature limitation of fecundity rates in a sac spawning copepod

Ward, Peter; Hirst, Andrew. 2007 Oithona similis in a high latitude ecosystem: abundance, distribution and temperature limitation of fecundity rates in a sac spawning copepod. Marine Biology, 151 (3). 1099-1110. 10.1007/s00227-006-0548-1

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Abstract/Summary

In this study we report the abundance, fecundity and an index of mortality of Oithona similis across a large latitudinal and temperature range within the Southern Ocean. The abundance of O. similis was strongly related to temperature and to depthintegrated (0-100m) chorophyll a (Chl a), abundance increasing with increasing temperature (and therefore increasing latitude) and Chl a. In situ total egg production rates and fecundity per female were significantly and positively related to temperature and Chl a. Egg hatch times lengthen as temperature decreases and in sac spawning species the next batch of eggs cannot be produced until the previous clutch hatch. Consequently, O. similis fecundity rates must rapidly decline at low temperatures, especially below 5oC. In situ fecundity rates were compared with a model of maximum fecundity, and were generally much lower, thus suggesting strong food limitation across the region studied. However the relationships of in situ and maximum rates to temperature were similar, confirming the importance of temperature. Further, as time taken to develop from egg to adult also rapidly extends with declining temperature, it is increasingly unlikely that O. similis will be able to 2 maintain its population against typical field mortality. Our findings have broad implications for the lower temperature range and hence geographic limits of O. similis, but also for the distribution of other sac spawning copepods and planktonic species generally

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	10.1007/s00227-006-0548-1
Programmes:	BAS Programmes > Global Science in the Antarctic Context (2005-2009) > DISCOVERY 2010 - Integrating Southern Ocean Ecosystems into the Earth System
ISSN:	0025-3162
NORA Subject Terms:	Marine Sciences
Date made live:	09 Feb 2010 16:01 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/9196

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

10.1007/s00227-006-0548-1

Programmes:

BAS Programmes > Global Science in the Antarctic Context (2005-2009) > DISCOVERY 2010 - Integrating Southern Ocean Ecosystems into the Earth System

ISSN:

0025-3162

NORA Subject Terms:

Marine Sciences

Date made live:

09 Feb 2010 16:01 +0 (UTC)