Copepod oxygen consumption along a salinity gradient. Issue 5 (2nd November 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Soulié, Tanguy; Engström-Öst, Jonna; Glippa, Olivier
• Is Part Of: Marine and freshwater behaviour and physiology. Volume 55:Issue 5/6(2022)
• Page Start: 107
• Page End: 119
• Publication Date: 2022-11-02
• Subjects: Oxygen consumption -- coastal zone -- salinity -- zooplankton -- climate change; Marine animals -- Physiology -- Periodicals; Marine animals -- Behavior -- Periodicals; Freshwater animals -- Physiology -- Periodicals; Freshwater animals -- Behavior -- Periodicals; Marine biology -- Periodicals; Aquatic animals -- Periodicals; 591.77
• DOI: 10.1080/10236244.2022.2104720
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1023-6244

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Climate change-induced salinity decrease is currently occurring in many estuarine coastal zones, due to increased outflow of freshwater. This freshening can be a problem for brackish-water animals, already living on the edge of their salinity tolerance. We measured oxygen consumption of common copepod Eurytemora affinis along a natural salinity gradient in the western Gulf of Finland. The salinity varied between 3 in the inner bay and 7 in the offshore area along the gradient, pH varied between 7.05 and 7.86. Our results show that respiration increased with decreasing salinity, as expected for a genus more commonly found in estuarine/saline waters, even if it has colonised brackish waters. Our results suggest that future decreasing salinity could enhance respiration rate, and so energy requirements, of large-bodied zooplankton in estuarine areas such as the Baltic Sea and could lead to lower food quality availability for coastal planktivorous fish, such as herring and sprat.