Effect of Turbidity on Semi-Automatic Analysis of Copepod Size and Abundance Distribution in the Water Column

Automated image systems to characterize aquatic organisms improve research and enable fast response to environmental risk situations. In November 2015, a dam in Mariana City-MG (Brazil) collapsed and led to the disposal of mud tailings from the mining process to the Doce River. The accident resulted in several casualties and incalculable damage to surrounding communities and the environment. The mud increased water turbidity, an essential condition to the functioning of the image analysis systems, and directly affected the characterization of the organisms, making it impossible to distinguish copepods in the mud, due to the blurred outline. To get a quick response evaluating environmental situations, this work aimed to develop and test different algorithms characterizing and classifying copepods by their size (length and area) using in situ images acquired by the Lightframe On-Sight Keyspecies Investigation device. Field tests were carried out under different turbidity levels throughout the gradient observed in the coastal zone adjacent to the Doce River. The best algorithm reduced nearly 50% of the noise in some images when compared with manual treatment and led to 96% accuracy in measurement and counting. Semi-automated devices that perform post-processing corrections are suitable for fast environmental evaluation under high turbidity scenarios.

Molecular quantification of copepod Acartia erythraea feeding on different algae preys

Quantitative evaluation of the copepod feeding process is critical for understanding the functioning of marine food webs, as this provides a major link between primary producers and higher trophic levels. In this study, a molecular protocol based on quantitative polymerase chain reaction(qPCR) targeting 18S rDNA was developed and used to investigate the feeding and digestion rates of the copepod Acartia erythraea in a laboratory experiment using microalgae Thalassiosira weissflogii, Prorocentrum shikokuense, and Alexandrium catenella as prey. Although offered an equal encounter rate based on biovolume, prey uptake varied substantially among the three algal species, with the ingestion rate(IR) and digestion rate(DR) of A. erythraea differing significantly(P <0.001) based on both cell counting and qPCR detection. Acartia erythraea showed the highest IR(2.79×10~4 cells/(ind.·h)) and DR(2.43×10~4 cells/(ind.·h)) on T. weissflogii, and the lowest amounts of ingested P. shikokuense were detected. The highest assimilation rate(~90.64%, IR/DR) was observed in copepods fed with P. shikokuense. The qPCR method used here can help determine the digestion rate and assimilation rate of copepods by detecting cells remaining in the gut hence providing the possibility to examine trophic links involving key species in the marine ecosystem. Our results indicate that A. erythraea has diet-specific feeding performance in different processes, and a quantitative assessment of copepod feeding is needed to accurately determine its functional role in the energy and matter uptake from marine food webs.

Impacts of CO_2-driven seawater acidification on survival,egg production rate and hatching success of four marine copepods

Ecological experiments were conducted to examine the effects of seawater containing elevated par- tial pressure of carbon dioxide （p CO2 800 × 10 -6 , 2 000 × 10 -6 , 5 000 × 10 -6 and 10 000 × 10 -6 ） on the survival and reproduction of female Acartia pacifica, Acartia spinicauda, Calanus sinicus and Centropages tenuiremis, which are the dominant copepods in the southern coastal waters of China. The results show that the effects of elevated p CO2 on the survival rates of copepods were species-specific. C. sinicus, which was a macro-copepod, had a higher survival rate （62.01%–71.96%） than the other three species （5.00%–26.67%） during the eight day exposure. The egg production rates of C. sinicus, A. spinicauda and C. tenuiremis were significantly inhibited by the increased p CO2 and the exposure time duration. There were significantly negative impacts on the egg hatching success of A. spinicauda and C. tenuiremis in the p CO2 2 000 × 10 -6 and 10 000 × 10 -6 groups, and, in addition, the exposure time had noticeably impacts on these rates too. This study indicates that the reproductive performances of copepods were sensitive to elevated p CO2 , and that the response of different copepod species to acidified seawater was different. Furthermore, the synergistic effects of seawater acidification and climate change or other pollutant stresses on organisms should be given more attention.

Study on biological oceanography charateristics of planktonic copepods in waters north of Taiwan Ⅱ. Community characteristics

The Paper is the succession of the study on abundance distribution of planktonic copepods in the waters north of Taiwan, and the emphasis is laid on the analysis and discussion of the constructions and features of copepod community and the relationships with water environment. The results show as follows: a total of 237 species were identified and the construction of communtity was complex. The percentage of annual present species was only 32%. The mean values of diversity and homogeneity of the copepod community were 3. 714 and 0. 690 respectively, and their horizontal distribution patterns were higher in outshore area than in nearshore area. The copepods of the area could be divided into five ectotypes. Warm-water outshore high temperature and lower saline group and tropic oceanic high temperature and saline group could indicate the seasonal changes of the Taiwan Strait water and the Kuroshio surface water respectively. According to the various aspects of calculation and analysis, winter was different from other three seasons in environmental conditions. In spring, summer and autumn, Undinula valgaris was the meat dominant species and salinity was the main factor that affected the community feature values. The communities in the three seasons had the subtropic-tropic characteristics in which warm-water outshore species were dominant and tropic oceanic species accounted for also certain proportion. While in winter, the dominant species was Euchaeta manna and temperature was the main factor influencing the community feture values. The community had the tropic oceanic characteristics in which tropic oceanic species were dominant.

Impacts of solar UV radiation on grazing, lipids oxidation and survival of Acartia pacif ica Steuer (Copepod)

UV radiation is known to affect aquatic primary producers and their grazers. However, little has been documented on its effects on zooplankton grazing. In this study, the authors investigated the effects of photosynthetically active radiation （PAR, 400–700 nm）, ultraviolet-A （UV-A, 320–400 nm） and ultraviolet-B （UV-B, 280–320 nm） radiation on grazing, mortality and lipids oxidation of the copepod Acartia pacifica collected from the Xiamen Bay. After 30 min of the exposures, the copepod was fed in darkness with the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum at two cell concentrations （2.5 × 10 4 and 2.5 × 10 5 cells/ml）. At the low cell concentration, the individuals pre-exposed to PAR （218.0 W/m 2 ）＋UV-A （48.2 W/m 2 ） or PAR＋UV-A＋UV-B （2.1 W/m 2 ） showed suppressed clearance and grazing activities compared with those receiving PAR alone, by 22.7% and 17.1% for clearance and by 22.6% and 5.5% for grazing rates, respectively. However, the suppression on clearance and grazing became indistinctive at the high food concentration. Exposures to UV-A and UV-B led to increased lipid oxidation and higher mortality, furthermore, the mortality linearly increased with enhanced oxidation of lipid.

Grazing and performance of the copepod Pseudodiaptomus poplesia on a Chinese strain of Aureococcus anophagefferens

Brown tides have recurred in estuary areas globally,but trophic interactions between the causative species Aureococcus anophagefferens and planktonic copepods remain poorly understood.In this study,we investigated performance（ingestion,growth,development and reproduction） of the planktonic copepod,Pseudodiaptomus poplesia,offered either mono-algal or mixed-algal diets containing a Chinese strain of A.anophagefferens.A typical Michaelis-Menten pattern existed between ingestion rate and food level when copepod fed on the monoalgal diet of this species.Nauplii exhibited the highest maximum ingestion rate（Imax） than copepodids and adult females.In addition,Imax value was higher in nauplii feeding on A.anophagefferens than on Skeletonema costatum.When fed mixtures of A.anophagefferens and S.costatum,P.poplesia selected against A.anophagefferens cells,but less strongly at the naupliar stage.Nauplii did not undergo metamorphosis and died at late naupliar stages feeding on A.anophagefferens alone,similar to those under starvation.Furthermore,the presence of A.anophagefferens greatly reduced the reproduction rate of females in mixtures but did not influence the growth rate of copepodids.These results suggest that P.poplesia nauplii may exert grazing pressure on A.anophagefferens population during a brown tide,which,however,may not be persistent because of copepod population decline.

Distribution patterns of appendicularians and copepods and their relationship on the northwest continental shelf of South China Sea during summer

The potential suppression of copepods on appendicularians was found in field and experimental conditions. The abundance and distribution of appendicularians and planktonic copepods were studied with reference to their correlations during summer on the northwest continental shelf of the South China Sea （SCS）. Based on the topography and water mass of the surveyed region, it was divided into three sub-regions： Region I （inshore waters of the east Leizhou Peninsula） with low temperature, salinity and high chlorophyll a （Chl a） concentration, Region II （inshore waters of the east and southeast Hainan Island） with low temperature, high salinity and moderate Chl a concentration and Region III （offshore waters from the Leizhou Peninsula to Hainan Island） with high temperature, high salinity and low Chl a concentration. The species richness of appendicularians and copepods increased from the inshore to offshore waters, and high values were observed in Region III. The distribution of appendicularian and copepod abundance decreased generally from the inshore to offshore waters, with the highest values at Region I. Our results suggest that the distribution patterns of appendicularians and copepods differed significantly, as a result of the influence of physical and biological factors. The negative impact of pelagic copepods on appendicularians was not found based on in situ data in the northwest continental shelf of SCS.

In situ diet of the copepod Calanus sinicus in coastal waters of the South Yellow Sea and the Bohai Sea

Copepods are a key trophic link between primary producers and predatory animals at higher trophic levels in the marine ecosystem. Knowledge of the in situ composition of the copepod diet is critical for the accurate evaluation of trophic relationships and energy transfer in marine food webs. In this study, we applied a PCR-based cloning technique developed previously to investigate the in situ diet of Calanus sinicus, an ecologically important largesized calanoid copepod that dominates in the shelf waters around China, Japan and Korea. Analyses of the 18S rDNA sequences obtained from the copepod diet revealed the diverse food composition of C. sinicus from two stations （Y19 in the South Yellow Sea and B49 in the Bohai Sea）. A total of 43 operational taxonomic units （OTUs） were detected, which belonged to 13 diverse lineages： Bacillariophyta, Dinoflagellata, Dictyochophyceae, Chrysophyta, Katablepharidophyta, Pelagophyceae, Apusozoa, Hydrozoa, Ctenophora, Echinodermata, Tunicata, Chaetognatha and marine fungi. The results indicate that during an algae bloom, C. sinicus can graze on the bloom causative species. When the abundance of phytoplankton in ambient water is relatively low, C. sinicus can choose eggs, larvae, or organic particles/detritus of various metazoans, especially hydrozoans and ctenophores, as alternative food sources. Our result suggests that C. sinicus is an omnivorous species, and its prey choice may depend on the food availability in the ambient waters.

Preliminary study of the retention mechanism of planktonic copepods in the Jiulong Estuary in China

The horizontal and vertical distribution patterns of five planktonic copepods, Calanus sinicus, Acartia pacifica, Tortanus derjugini, Acartiella sinensis and Pseudodiaptomus poplesia, predominant in the Jiulong Estuary, were investigated from May 2003 to April 2004. The results showed that the distribution of these copepods was related to the tidal period but that each species had its own specific pattern. C. sinicus showed no tidal vertical migration behavior and was thought to be a non-resident species in this estuary. Among Acartia pacifica, T. derjugini,Acartiella sinensis, more individuals occurred in the surface than in the bottom waters during flood tide, and the pattern was reversed during ebb tide. The epibenthic copepod P. poplesia usually remained in the bottom waters in the upstream part of the estuary, but it displayed strong tidally-oriented vertical migration in the middle reaches of the estuary. Taking into account the hydrographic characteristics of the Jiulong Estuary, it was hypothesized that the planktonic copepods in this estuary had more or less adopted the mechanism of vertically migrating to the surface waters during flood tide in order to make use of the inflowing tide, and then sinking to the bottom during ebb tide to avoid being carried out of the estuary by net outflow.

Diel vertical migration of the copepod Calanus sinicus before and during formation of the Yellow Sea Cold Bottom Water in the Yellow Sea

To understand the effects of the Yellow Sea Cold Bottom Water （YSCBW） on the diel vertical migration （D- VM） of the copepod Calanus sinicus, we surveyed vertical distribution of C. sinicus at a fixed station in the Yellow Sea before （spring） and during （summer） formation of the YSCBW. Cold water （〈10℃） was observed in the bottom layer when the water column was thermally stratified in summer, but the water column was thermally well-mixed in spring 2010. Samples were collected from five different layers at 3-h intervals using an opening-closing net. Adult females （1-155 ind./m3） showed a clear normal DVM pattern throughout the entire water column in spring, whereas adult males did not migrate. DVM of copepodite V （CV） individuals was not clear, but the maximum abundance of CI-CIV occurred consistently in the upper 10-20 m layer, where there was a high concentration of chlorophyll-a （Chl-a） （0.49-1.19μg/L）. In summer, weak DVM was limited to cold waters beneath the thermocline for adult females （〈30 ind./m3）, but not for adult males. The maximum abundance of CI-CIV also occurred consistently in the subsurface layer （20-40 m） together with high concentrations of Chl-a （0.81-2.36 μg/L）. CV individuals （1-272 ind./m3） moved slightly upward noc- turnally to the near-surface layer （10-20 m）, where the average temperature was 25.74℃, but they were not found in the surface layer （0-10 m; 28.31℃）. These results indicate that the existence of the YSBCW affected food availability at depth and the vertical temperature distribution, leading to variation in the amplitude and shape of stage-specific vertical distributions （CI to adults） in C. sinicus before and during the formation of cold waters in the Yellow Sea during the study period.

Seasonal variance of salinity tolerance of a copepod Drepanopus bispinosus in an Antarctic littoral saline lake (Burton Lake)

In Burton Lake (an Antarctic littoral saline lake), as one of the overwinter species, the female Drepanopus bispinosus reach adult form in autumn. and early winter.For the subsequent life period of more than eight months, the animals experience such changing environment as increasing salinities from approximately 33 (in May) to 39 (in November). There is a considerable difference of salinity tolerance of female adults between summer and winter populations.Winter collected copepods survived lower salinities than summer collected copepods in this experiment. The upward shift in their salinity tolerance range is related to the development of field acclimation to salinity. Respiration rates of the summer animals showed a visible increase over those of winter copepods in simitar salinity and temperature conditions, thus supporting the above conclusion.

Molecular phylogeography and population genetic structure of the planktonic copepod Calanus sinicus Brodsky in the coastal waters of China

Planktonic copepod Calanus sinicus is the dominant meso-zooplankton in the Northwest Pacific Ocean. To better understand its population dynamics and phylogeographic patterns, 243 C. sinicus individuals were collected from seven locations across the shelf waters of China and its population genetics was studied by mitochondrial DNA cytochrome oxidase I（mtCOI） sequences analyses. Thirty-nine different sequences, or haplotypes, were detected with moderate haplotype diversity（h=0.749） and low nucleotide diversity（π=0.003） for all populations. The evolutionary divergence between geographic populations varied from 0.24% to 0.37%, indicative of very limited genetic differentiation. Visualized minimum spanning network（MSN） and phylogenetic analysis of all the detected haplotypes did not reveal any clear phylogeographic pattern. Furthermore, AMOVA data showed no significant spatial population differentiation existed among the individuals collected across China shelf waters. Pairwise FST values showed that population collected from northwest of the East China Sea（ECS） displayed a low difference to other populations. Mismatch distribution analyses and neutrality tests indicated that C. sinicus might undergo a demographic/population expansion. No significant population genetic structuring was detected, indicating an extensive gene flow among the C. sinicus populations. Our results provide molecular evidence for the hypothesis that C. sinicus in the northwestern South China Sea in winter is transported from the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea by the China Coastal Current during the northeast monsoon period.

Morphology and Phylogeny of Taeniacanthus yamagutii Shiino,1957(Hexanauplia:Taeniacanthidae),a Copepod Infecting the Gills of Rosy Goatfish Parupeneus rubescens(Mullidae)in the Arabian Gulf

The present study was to investigate the copepodid species infecting rosy goatfish Parupeneus rubescens,one of the most economically important fishes in the Arabian Gulf.A copepodid species identified from the examined fish specimens belongs to the Taeniacanthidae family and is labeled as Taeniacanthus yamagutii Shiino,1957,mainly depending on its morphological,morphometric,and ultrastructural characteristics,in particular the presence of maxilliped claw with a conspicuous digitiform process at the base,the terminal process of the second maxilla stout,and a setiform element at the tip of each exopod spine of legs 2-4.In order to ensure the accurate identification and exact taxonomic characterization of this species,the 28S rRNA gene sequence was analyzed.The result revealed that the present copepodid species belong to the Taenicanthidae family and has a close relationship with Taeniacanthus yamagutii(gb|KR048852.1)in the same taxon.The present study demonstrated that the rosy goatfish is a host for Taeniacanthus species,which will be helpful to prevent this parasitic infection.

Copepods in Hypersaline Waters Worldwide:Diversity,Environmental,Social,and Economic Roles

1 Introduction Copepods are a group of small crustaceans,which play an important ecological role in aquatic ecosystems.They occupy different ecological niches in aquatic food webs,contributes to biogenic element cycles,and transfer of organic matter from primary producers to higher secondary consumers.Copepods also have the potential to

Spatial and Temporal Variations of Pelagic Copepods in the North Yellow Sea

This study aims to analyze the spatial and temporal variations of the abundance and biodiversity of pelagic copepods and their relationships with the environmental factors in the North Yellow Sea(NYS). These variations were analyzed on the basis of the survey data of the NYS in four seasons from 2006 to 2007. A total of 31 copepod species that belong to 17 genera, 13 families and 4 orders were identified in the four seasons. Of these copepods, the species belonging to Calanoida is the most abundant component. The dominant species include Calanus sinicus, Centropages abdominalis, Paracalanus parvus, Acartia bifilosa, Oithona plumifera, and Corycaeus affinis. C. sinicus is the most important and widely distributed dominant species in all of the seasons. The dominant species have not shown any significant variation for the past 50 years. However, the richness of warm-water species increased. The abundance of copepods significantly varied among different seasons: the average abundance was higher in spring(608.2 ind m^(-3)) and summer(385.1 ind m^(-3)) than in winter(186.5 ind m^(-3)) and autumn(128.0 ind m^(-3)). Factor analyses showed a high correlation between the spatial distributions of dominant copepods and environmental parameters, and Chl-a was the most important factor that influenced the distribution of copepods. This research can provide the fundamental information related to zooplankton, especially pelagic copepods. This research is also beneficial for the long-term monitoring of zooplankton ecology in the NYS.

Effect of diet on the development, survival, and reproduction of the calanoid copepod Pseudodiaptomus dubia

Pseudodiaptomus dubia is a calanoid copepod abundant in the mariculture ponds of southern China. However, our understanding of the population dynamics of P . dubia in aquaculture ponds is limited. In this study, groups of larval P . dubia were each fed a diff erent microalgal species, and the eff ects of these diff erent diets on development, survival, and reproduction were assessed. The fi ve microalgae used were species common in aquaculture farms in China, and included two chlorophytes ( Chlorella saccharophila and Platymonas subcordiformis ), one golden microalga ( Isochrysis zhanjiangensis ), and two diatoms ( Chaetoceros muelleri and Cyclotella meneghiniana ). Our results indicated that C . saccharophila was not a suitable food for larval P . dubia , as all larvae fed this microalga died at stage III (as copepodites). The survival rates of P . dubia larvae fed C . muelleri , I . zhanjiangensis , and P . subcordiformis were signifi cantly higher than that of larvae fed C . meneghiniana . In the adult stage, copepods fed C . muelleri , I . zhanjiangensis , and C . meneghiniana produced more nauplii (430-566 nauplii/female), had higher intrinsic growth rates (0.2- 0.253/d), and better longevity (59-60 days) than those fed P . subcordiformis . Our results therefore suggest that P . dubia has diff erent nutritional needs and food preferences at diff erent life stages. For example, P . subcordiformis was suitable for developing larvae but not for breeding adults, while C . meneghiniana was suitable for breeding adults but not for developing larvae. Both C . muelleri and I . zhanjiangensis were excellent foods for P . dubia throughout the entire life cycle.

Effects of residual chlorine on the mortality, grazing and respiration of Labidocera euchaeta (Copepoda)

In this study,the authors investigated the effects of residual chlorine on mortality,grazing and respiration of Labidocera euchaeta in laboratory.The grazing rate was evaluated by subtraction method of food concentration and respiration rate was measured using oxygen electrode.It was found that the lethal effect of residual chlorine on L.euchaeta increased with enhanced concentration and prolonged duration.The medium lethal concentration （LC 50 ） of chlorine for L.euchaeta in 24 h was about 0.58 mg/L and the safe concentration was about 0.21 mg/L.However,the grazing and respiration of L.euchaeta decreased by 32.6% and 18.9% when exposed to 0.2 mg/L residual chlorine for 4 h.It indicated that the physiological activities of zooplankton could be suppressed by the residual chlorine less than the safety concentration.Therefore,both survival and physiological activities of the organisms living in the thermal （nuclear） power plant discharging waters should be considered when carrying out the ecological risks assessment.

Copepod community structure during upwelling and non-upwelling seasons in coastal waters off Cochin, southwest coast of India

Vypeen, an island of Cochin estuarine system, acts as the spawning site of several marine and estuarine fishes. We assumed that, physical process(upwelling) make changes in hydrography and the production of chlorophyll a in coastal waters off Vypeen. These alterations can influence the zooplankton abundance and copepod community structure in that area. For justifying this hypothesis, samples were collected from Vypeen at 10 m and 30 m locations during January(pre-southwest monsoon), August(late-southwest monsoon) and November(postsouthwest monsoon) 2014. During August, subsurface water column was cool, nutrient rich and less oxygenated(signatures of upwelling) than in November and January. Maximum concentrations of nitrate and chlorophyll a were recorded during August. In the present study, 15 zooplankton groups were recorded;of which copepods were the most predominant group(73%–90%). Copepod density in the present study ranged between 527.2 ind./m^3 and 5 139.2 ind./m^3. Totally, 37 copepods species were reported in present study and copepod species richness was higher during January. The abundance of zooplankton and copepods was high in August during late-southwest monsoon. These variations were closely associated with the coastal upwelling in August and weakening of moderate upwelling in November. In SIMPER analysis, it was found that the copepods species distribution was similar within season and dissimilar between the three seasons. Moreover, the higher abundance of upwelling indicator species Temora turbinata was recorded in August, which confirms the signs of seasonal upwelling in Vypeen. The present study emphasized on the influence of hydrographical parameters associated with physical process, in governing the copepod community organization of the Vypeen Island.

A new record of Candacia varicans Giesbrecht, 1892 (male)(Crustacea: Copepoda: Candaciidae) from the South China Sea

The male of Candacia varicans Giesbrecht, 1892 from the South China Sea was recorded and described. In general, the male of C. varicans is morphologically similar to those of C. arrnata and C. curta. However, it is distinguished with them by below several morphological characters： （1） posterolateral corners of the fifth thoracic segment prominently sharp and symmetrical; （2） right side of posterior edge of genital segment with a small backward protuberance; and （3） the dorsal surface of the third segment of the fifth pereiopod with a squamashaped protuberance.

Distribution of planktonic copepods in the Kuroshio area of the East Chine Sea to the southwest of Kyushu in Japan

The materials were obtained from the survey conducted in the Kuroshio area of the East China Sea to the Southwest of Kyushu in Japan (29°30'-32°00', 128°00'-130°'00'E) on board the R. V. Yoko Maru of Seikai Regional Fisheries Lab, Fisheries Agency, Japan in June 15~28, 1988 during China-Japan Joint Research on the Kuroshio. Zoo-plankton was collected by means of the North Pacific Net with model TSK flowmeter through vertical haul from 50 -Om. Temperature and salinity were measured with CTD. 134 species (including 4 spp. ) of planktonic copepods were preliminarily identified in the survey area. Most of them belonged to the tropical and subtropical species and a few of them were the warm-temperate species and eurytopic species. The main dominant species vteieOncaea venusta, Oithona plumifera, Clausocalanus furcatus, C. Arcuicornis, Paracaianus dculeatus, Oithona similis, Temara turbinata, Oncaea media, Undinula danvinii, Acartia negligent, Corycaeus speciosus, Scolecithrix danae, etc. The total number of individuals of planktonic copepods were about 367. 6 ind. /m3 on an average. The horizontal distribution of planktonic cope-pods was less in number but more in species in the main current area of the Kuroshio. The variations of growth and decline of the warm Kuroshio and the coastal current along China coast influenced the community structure and the distribution of planktonic copepods. Water temperature was one of principal controlling factors affecting the species composition and the quantitative distribution of planktonic copepods.