Environmental factors as drivers of the spatial distribution of the copepods Eurytemora affinis affinis and Eurytemora velox in the Scheldt tributaries.

Abstract

The main tributaries of the Scheldt estuary offer an interesting setting to study the response of organisms to various environmental conditions. The Bovenscheldt and the Dender are closed to tidal entrance by locks, and are hence essentially fresh water systems with low turbulence. The Durme and the Rupel, with its two sub-tributaries (the Beneden-Nete and the Dijle), receive estuarine water at each tide and as such, present a fresh-brackish water gradient according to the geographic location of their confluence with the estuary and the tidal phase. This paper aims (1) to determine the spatial-temporal distribution of two calanoid copepod species: Eurytemora affinis affinis (Poppe, 1880) and E. velox (Lilljeborg, 1853) in these tributaries and (2) the environmental conditions favoring each species development. Species distribution and abundance data, collected in the four tributaries between 2018 and 2021 are analyzed by Generalized Linear Mixed Models (GLMM) and the results are interpreted in the context of ecosystem functioning. A spatial structuring between E. affinis affinis and E. velox was revealed. Whilst E. affinis affinis develops best in the tidal tributaries such as the Durme and Rupel, E. velox is more typical of the non-tidal ones: the Bovenscheldt and the Dender. The tidal tributaries have high Particulate Organic Matter (POM) concentrations due to tidal turbulence, and hence generally lower oxygen concentrations than the non-tidal ones (< 10-11 mg L-1). Factors favoring E. affinis affinis development in the tidal tributaries are higher chlorinity, pH and diatom abundance than in the non-tidal ones. In the non-tidal tributaries, with lower POM concentrations, phytoplankton activity more strongly influences the overall oxygen balance, with oxygen concentrations often rising above 10-11 mg L-1 and sometimes showing high variability. The results suggest that E. affinis affinis might suffer from hyperoxia-induced oxidative stress under these high oxygen conditions and advocate the necessity to include this aspect in further research. E. velox, which is most abundant in those tributaries, seems to be more tolerant to hyperoxia and strong fluctuations in O2 concentrations than E. affinis affinis.