Zooplankton Fatty Acid Research Articles

Dietary fatty acid transfer in pelagic food webs across trophic and climatic differences of Chinese lakes

In eutrophic lake ecosystems, cyanobacteria typically lead to unbalanced phytoplankton community structure and low dietary quality for consumers at higher trophic levels. However, it still remains poorly understood how zooplankton manage to respond to seasonal and spatial differences in lake trophic gradients and temperature factors to retain highly required dietary nutrients from phytoplankton. In this field study, we investigated seston and different size classes of zooplankton of temperate and subtropical large lakes of different trophic conditions in China. We used fatty acids (FA) as dietary nutrients from seston to zooplankton to investigate how eutrophication affects the FA composition of various zooplankton size classes. This study revealed a curvilinear relationship between total phosphorus (TP) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) contents of edible phytoplankton (“seston”) across 3 seasons and 2 climatic areas. The PUFA content of seston increased until mesotrophic lake conditions (TP: 11–20 μg L−1), after which the dietary provision of PUFA for respective consumers declined. Seston FA, rather than trophic condition or water temperature, primarily predicted changes in zooplankton FA, while this predictive power decreased with zooplankton size. Despite increasing eutrophic lake conditions, LC-PUFA content of the zooplankton consistently increased per unit biomass. The results indicate that the nutritional value of phytoplankton was highest in mesotrophic lakes, and lake zooplankton selectively increased their LC-PUFA retention with body size and/or were able to convert dietary FA endogenously to meet their size-specific FA demands, independent of lake location or time (season) or the measured trophic condition of the lake (from oligo- to eutrophic).

Total lipid and fatty acid composition of mesozooplankton functional group members in the NE Pacific over a range of productivity regimes

Fish, whales, and seabirds along the productive west coast of Vancouver Island (WCVI), NE Pacific, rely on copepod prey that are assumed to be rich in lipid. However, the total lipid (TL) and fatty acid content of most copepod species and other mesozooplankton in this region have not been measured. To assess the diets and quality of zooplankton prey off the WCVI, we investigated differences in lipid content and composition of mesozooplankton according to their taxonomic versus functional group identities. Copepods, chaetognaths, euphausiids, and amphipods, belonging to 3 different functional groups, were sampled on the WCVI during pre-, mid-, and post-bloom conditions. Compared to taxonomic classifications, the functional group approach was superior in its ability to discern statistical differences in TL among zooplankton and between seasons. Furthermore, multivariate analyses using zooplankton fatty acid composition from all oceanographic regimes produced 3 to 4 statistically different clusters of species that corroborated functional group designations. However, some trophic flexibility was observed in several copepod species, particularly Calanus marshallae, that may relate to food scarcity or the presence of potentially noxious prey. The omnivorous-herbivorous functional group frequently contained higher amounts of TL and masses of essential fatty acids than the carnivorous group. Euphausiids and C. marshallae contributed the most lipid (mg m-3) to the pelagic ‘lipid pool’, due to very high lipid content and high abundance, respectively. However, on the continental slope and shelf break, chaetognaths and Neocalanus spp. copepods contributed substantially to the lipid pool.

Taxonomic, Temporal, and Spatial Variations in Zooplankton Fatty Acid Composition in Puget Sound, WA, USA

Fatty acid (FA) content and composition of zooplankton in Puget Sound, Washington (USA) was studied to investigate the nutritional quality of diverse zooplankton prey for juvenile salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) in terms of their essential fatty acid (EFA) content. The study focus was on eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and arachidonic acid (ARA) as these are key FA needed to maintain growth and development of juvenile fish. The different zooplankton taxa varied in their FA composition. Much of the variation in FA composition was driven by 18:1ω9 (a biomarker of carnivory), ARA, DHA, and FA characteristic of diatoms, which are linked to zooplankton diet sources. Gammarid and hyperiid amphipods contained the highest amount of EFA, particularly the gammarid amphipod Cyphocaris challengeri, while shrimp and copepods had much lower EFA content. Crab larvae, which are important prey for juvenile salmon in Puget Sound, had intermediate EPA + DHA content and the lowest DHA/EPA ratio, and were rich in diatom biomarkers. Temporal and spatial trends in zooplankton lipids were less apparent than the taxonomic differences, although the EFA content increased from spring to summer in Cancridae zoeae and the amphipod C. challengeri. These results on taxon-specific EFA content provide baseline information on the nutritional quality of zooplankton that can be applied in food web models. Combining zooplankton fatty acid data (quality) with taxon-specific zooplankton biomass data (quantity) enables development of new, sensitive indicators of juvenile fish production to help assess recent declines in salmon production in the Pacific Northwest and predict future adult returns.

Fasting or feeding: A planktonic food web under lake ice

Abstract Zooplankton can spend winter actively under the ice cover of lakes. However, dietary resources under lake ice are both quantitatively and qualitatively limited, and feeding might not be energetically rewarding for most zooplankton species. Many zooplankters are expected to fast throughout the winter, exhausting their previously accumulated fat storage. We hypothesised that only a fraction of the actively overwintering zooplankton contributes to an active food web under lake ice, leading to few trophic linkages within the planktonic community. Zooplankton habitats and feeding were investigated under the ice of Lake Onego. Zooplankton habitats and migrations were studied by coupling zooplankton sampling around the clock to measurements of particle movement using an acoustic Doppler current profiler. Secondly, fatty acid‐specific stable isotope compositions were used to determine whether and which zooplankton fatty acids ultimately came from the assimilation of under‐ice seston. The algal biomass was low under ice and mostly dominated by large diatoms. Copepods dominated the zooplankton community. Species present as late copepodite and adult instars were confined to the deeper layers, while nauplii occupied the surface layer. Diel vertical migration by Cyclops was the most tangible observation of persistent feeding under the ice. Previously accumulated fat storage represented most of zooplankton fatty acids, with few, yet detectable, fatty acids recently acquired by feeding under the ice. Although some zooplankton taxa maintained feeding activity under the ice of Lake Onego, the food source available beneath the ice was not sufficiently rewarding to leave an isotopic imprint upon the dominant fatty acids of bulk zooplankton. The seston fatty acids that were passed on to zooplankton from feeding under ice were not provided by diatoms, although they made up most of the phytoplankton biovolume. Instead, the zooplankton food web was supported by mixotrophic phytoplankton (i.e. cryptophytes and chrysophytes) that represented <5% of the under‐ice biovolume. Consequently, the planktonic food web under the ice of Lake Onego had few trophic linkages, and thereby low connectance. Environmental conditions under the ice of Lake Onego do not depart significantly from those observed in lakes of similar latitudes. Therefore, low connectance food webs could be relatively common under ice for lakes above 60° latitude. Our methodological approach is applicable to other lakes and could thus disclose the variability of under‐ice food webs. This would provide a much more complete picture of annual dynamics of food webs in lakes that ice over.

The littoral zone of polar lakes: inshore–offshore contrasts in an ice-covered High Arctic lake

In ice-covered polar lakes, a narrow ice-free moat opens up in spring or early summer, and then persists at the edge of the lake until complete ice loss or refreezing. In this study, we analyzed the horizontal gradients in Ward Hunt Lake, located in the Canadian High Arctic, and addressed the hypothesis that the transition from its nearshore open-water moat to offshore ice-covered waters is marked by discontinuous shifts in limnological properties. Consistent with this hypothesis, we observed an abrupt increase in below-ice concentrations of chlorophyll a beyond the ice margin, along with a sharp decrease in temperature and light availability and pronounced changes in benthic algal pigments and fatty acids. There were higher concentrations of rotifers and lower concentrations of viruses at the ice-free sampling sites, and contrasts in zooplankton fatty acid profiles that implied a greater importance of benthic phototrophs in their inshore diet. The observed patterns underscore the structuring role of ice cover in polar lakes. These ecosystems do not conform to the traditional definitions of littoral versus pelagic zones but instead may have distinct moat, ice-margin, and ice-covered zones. This zonation is likely to weaken with ongoing climate change.

Seasonal controls on the diet, metabolic activity, tissue reserves and growth of the cold-water coral Lophelia pertusa

Vast cold-water coral (CWC) reefs occur in temperate regions, where strong seasonality in temperature and light leads to a short but highly productive spring period. How CWCs respond physiologically to this strong seasonal forcing remains unclear, due to the remoteness of their deep-sea habitats. In an in situ transplantation study at Nakken reef, Norway, we investigated a full seasonal cycle of (1) temperature and food availability, (2) diet, (3) biomass and tissue reserves, (4) oxygen consumption and (5) linear growth of the reef-building coral Lophelia pertusa. All investigated variables showed a distinct seasonality. An increase in the organic carbon and amino acid content, linear extension and budding rate from February to late May, at a simultaneous increase in phytoplankton and zooplankton fatty acid trophic markers (FATMs), and δ15N-derived trophic level, indicates an efficient exploitation of the spring phytoplankton and the subsequent zooplankton bloom. A pool of neutral-lipid-derived fatty acids, indicative of energy storage and gametogenesis, was formed from May to October, accompanied by increased oxygen consumption, i.e. metabolic activity. In late autumn and early winter (October–December), tissue reserves were maintained, in spite of low sPOM and zooplankton food availability, and the lower tissue δ13C and higher contribution of bacterial FATMs suggest increased reliance on more degraded material. The concurrent reduction in linear growth further suggests a lower energy availability at this time of the year. A large (> 50%) drop of all tissue pools between December and February coincided with the spawning season of L. pertusa and demonstrates a high energetic cost of reproduction. Our results show for the first time a strong seasonal control of critical life history traits such as growth patterns and timing of reproduction in this prominent deep-sea species.

Changes in zooplankton community, and seston and zooplankton fatty acid profiles at the freshwater/saltwater interface of the Chowan River, North Carolina.

The variability in zooplankton fatty acid composition may be an indicator of larval fish habitat quality as fatty acids are linked to fish larval growth and survival. We sampled an anadromous fish nursery, the Chowan River, during spring of 2013 in order to determine how the seston fatty acid composition varied in comparison with the zooplankton community composition and fatty acid composition during the period of anadromous larval fish residency. The seston fatty acid profiles showed no distinct pattern in relation to sampling time or location. The mesozooplankton community composition varied spatially and the fatty acid profiles were typical of freshwater species in April. The Chowan River experienced a saltwater intrusion event during May, which resulted in brackish water species dominating the zooplankton community and the fatty acid profile showed an increase in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), in particular eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The saltwater intrusion event was followed by an influx of freshwater due to high precipitation levels in June. The zooplankton community composition once again became dominated by freshwater species and the fatty acid profiles shifted to reflect this change; however, EPA levels remained high, particularly in the lower river. We found correlations between the seston, microzooplankton and mesozooplankton fatty acid compositions. Salinity was the main factor correlated to the observed pattern in species composition, and fatty acid changes in the mesozooplankton. These data suggest that anadromous fish nursery habitat likely experiences considerable spatial variability in fatty acid profiles of zooplankton prey and that are correlated to seston community composition and hydrodynamic changes. Our results also suggest that sufficient prey density as well as a diverse fatty acid composition is present in the Chowan River to support larval fish production.

Climate Effects on High Latitude Daphnia via Food Quality and Thresholds.

Climate change is proceeding rapidly at high northern latitudes and may have a variety of direct and indirect effects on aquatic food webs. One predicted effect is the potential shift in phytoplankton community structure towards increased cyanobacterial abundance. Given that cyanobacteria are known to be a nutritionally poor food source, we hypothesized that such a shift would reduce the efficiency of feeding and growth of northern zooplankton. To test this hypothesis, we first isolated a clone of Daphnia pulex from a permafrost thaw pond in subarctic Québec, and confirmed that it was triploid but otherwise genetically similar to a diploid, reference clone of the same species isolated from a freshwater pond in southern Québec. We used a controlled flow-through system to investigate the direct effect of temperature and indirect effect of subarctic picocyanobacteria (Synechococcus) on threshold food concentrations and growth rate of the high latitude clone. We also compared the direct effect of temperature on both Daphnia clones feeding on eukaryotic picoplankton (Nannochloropsis). The high latitude clone had a significantly lower food threshold for growth than the temperate clone at both 18 and 26°C, implying adaptation to lower food availability even under warmer conditions. Polyunsaturated fatty acids were present in the picoeukaryote but not the cyanobacterium, confirming the large difference in food quality. The food threshold for growth of the high latitude Daphnia was 3.7 (18°C) to 4.2 (26°C) times higher when fed Synechococcus versus Nannochloropsis, and there was also a significant negative effect of increased temperature and cyanobacterial food on zooplankton fatty acid content and composition. The combined effect of temperature and food quality on the performance of the high latitude Daphnia was greater than their effects added separately, further indicating the potentially strong indirect effects of climate warming on aquatic food web processes.

Effects of seasonal seston and temperature changes on lake zooplankton fatty acids

We investigated how seston fatty acids (FA) and water temperature explained seasonal variation in cladoceran and copepod FA over three years in pre-alpine, oligotrophic Lake Lunz, Austria. Using the mostly algal-derived polyunsaturated FA (PUFA: arachidonic, ARA; eicosapentaenoic, EPA; docosahexaenoic acid, DHA), terrestrial FA (TFA, 22 : 0, 24 : 0), and bacterial FA (BAFA, 15 : 0, 17 : 0 and their branched homologues) as source-specific biomarkers, we show that cladocerans consistently contained more ARA and EPA and copepods more DHA than the available food (seston). None of these physiologically important PUFA were significantly related between zooplankton and seston across the entire study period but copepod DHA increased with seston DHA during the coldest months (< 8°C, based on a significant seston FA*temperature interaction). EPA, conversely, increased with decreasing water temperature in both zooplankton groups. For the nonessential FA, TFA were lower in zooplankton than in seston and not related to dietary supply or water temperature. However, cladoceran and copepod BAFA increased significantly with increasing seston BAFA and decreasing water temperature. These findings suggest that physiological regulation in response to changing water temperature had a significant impact on cladoceran and copepod EPA and the extent of dietary tracking for copepod DHA. TFA available in the seston may not have been consumed or were poorly incorporated by zooplankton, but BAFA were good indicators of available resources throughout multiple seasonal cycles. Based on our study, both FA type and water temperature impact the extent that dietary vs. nondietary processes govern cladoceran and copepod FA in oligotrophic lakes.

Taxonomic identity and phytoplankton diet affect fatty acid composition of zooplankton in large lakes with differing dissolved organic carbon concentration

An increase in loading of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from terrestrial to freshwater ecosystems has recently been documented in several boreal regions. We studied how transfer of important biomolecules, fatty acids, may be connected to DOC in pelagic food webs of large boreal lakes. We collected nine zooplankton taxa during three seasons from six lakes along a gradient of DOC (5–10 mg C L−1). Taxonomic identity explained 62% of the variation in zooplankton fatty acids, while the effects of DOC and season were less pronounced. This suggests that the community composition of zooplankton is important in determining the quality of food available for higher trophic level consumers. Seasonal differences in fatty acid composition were most evident in the taxa that overwinter in an active stage, and especially C18 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) accumulated toward fall. Small part of the within–taxa variation in zooplankton fatty acids was related to lake DOC concentration. However, the proportion of fatty acids indicative of bacteria or terrestrial vegetation were not linked to DOC. Instead, DOC was connected to PUFA, with zooplankton in high DOC lakes having higher ω3 : ω6 ratios. We propose that this is due to decrease of chlorophytes in phytoplankton community with increasing DOC concentration. Our results with significant among–taxa differences in zooplankton fatty acids imply that terrestrial organic matter may affect the transfer of fatty acids more profoundly if it modifies the zooplankton community composition. However, shifts in the phytoplankton community structure could also cause smaller–scale changes in zooplankton fatty acid composition.

Invertebrate uptake of lipids in the vicinity of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) aquaculture sites in British Columbia

Samples of invertebrates, primary producers, seawater and cores were taken surrounding several aquaculture sites in coastal British Columbia, Canada. Analysis of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) showed a significant decrease (P = 0.027) over 1 km and an overall average of 290 ± 40 μM at 1 m depth. At 10 m, the decrease was not significant and DOC averaged 81 ± 3 μM. The essential fatty acid 22:6ω3 (docosahexaenoic acid, DHA) was significantly lower nearer to the farm sites for all mollusc taxa as well as for mussels alone (P < 0.01). However, mussel wet weight as well as the zooplankton fatty acid marker (ZFA; Σ 20:1ω9, 22:1ω11, 22:1ω9) and 20:1ω9 individually, decreased significantly with distance from the farms (P < 0.03). Principal components analysis showed a similar trend with DHA being higher in molluscs further from the farm. Mussels had significantly higher amounts of DHA compared with other molluscs indicating their potential in multi-trophic, co-culturing systems. Bacterial fatty acid markers increased in molluscs with distance from the farms; however, 18:1ω7, which is representative of methane-oxidizing bacteria, remained higher closer to the farm. In addition, DHA proportions in mussels showed a significant breakpoint at 339 m from the farm suggesting co-cultured mussels would benefit from placement further than 339 m from farms where DHA would be optimized.

Exceptional lipid storage mode of the copepod Boeckella poopoensis in a pampean salt lake, Argentina

AB Aquatic Biology Contact the journal Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections AB 15:275-281 (2012) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/ab00432 Exceptional lipid storage mode of the copepod Boeckella poopoensis in a pampean salt lake, Argentina Germán A. Kopprio1,4,*, Gerhard Kattner2, Martin Graeve2, R. Hugo Freije3, Rubén J. Lara1,4 1Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía, Bahía Blanca B8000FWB, Argentina 2Ecological Chemistry, Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven 27570, Germany 3Environmental Chemistry, Universidad Nacional del Sur, Bahía Blanca B8000CPB, Argentina 4Wetland Dynamics, Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Ecology, Bremen 28359, Germany *Email: gkopprio@criba.edu.ar ABSTRACT: The lipid biochemistry of zooplankton was investigated in Lake Chasicó, a pampean salt lake in Argentina. The lipid biomass of the zooplankton community was dominated by the calanoid copepod Boeckella poopoensis. The major storage lipids during winter were wax esters and triacylglycerols, which reached up to 59 and 37% of the total lipids, respectively. A striking feature of the zooplankton fatty acid composition was the extraordinarily high level of 18:4(n‑3) and 20:4(n-3) fatty acids, the highest ever reported for the latter in zooplankton. During winter, 20:4(n-3) accounted on average for 20% of the total fatty acids in the wax ester fraction and 7% in the triacylglycerols. The close relationship (r = 0.83, p < 0.001) between the 2 fatty acids implies the biosynthesis of 20:4(n-3) in B. poopoensis by chain elongation of 18:4(n-3), a dietary precursor and flagellate marker. The accumulation of 20:4(n-3) may be also partially related to B. poopoensis grazing on heterotrophic protozoa or non-flagellated chlorophytes, although this fatty acid was almost absent in the seston fraction. In summer, wax esters were slightly lower (45%), compensated by higher phospholipid levels. The 16:0 fatty alcohol moiety was predominant in the wax esters of all samples, corroborating the opportunistic feeding behavior of B. poopoensis. The high amounts of wax esters in zooplankton are typical of marine species, suggesting that the wax ester biosynthesis of B. poopoensis and the extraordinary fatty acid composition are adaptations to the unstable environmental conditions of salt lakes. KEY WORDS: Polyunsaturated fatty acids · Biosynthesis · Trophic markers · Wax esters · 20:4(n-3) Full text in pdf format PreviousNextCite this article as: Kopprio GA, Kattner G, Graeve M, Freije RH, Lara RJ (2012) Exceptional lipid storage mode of the copepod Boeckella poopoensis in a pampean salt lake, Argentina. Aquat Biol 15:275-281. https://doi.org/10.3354/ab00432 Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in AB Vol. 15, No. 3. Online publication date: June 06, 2012 Print ISSN: 1864-7782; Online ISSN: 1864-7790 Copyright © 2012 Inter-Research.

A comparison of the trophic transfer of fatty acids in freshwater plankton by cladocerans and calanoid copepods

Summary 1. Analyses of zooplankton fatty acid (FA) composition in laboratory experiments and samples collected from lakes in New Zealand spanning a wide gradient of productivity were used to assess the extent to which FAs might infer their diet. We used the cladocerans, Daphnia and Ceriodaphnia, and the calanoid copepod, Boeckella, as test organisms, and monocultures of cryptophytes, chlorophytes and cyanobacteria as food. Based on reproductive success, cryptophytes were the highest food quality, chlorophytes were intermediate and cyanobacteria the poorest. 2. Several FA groups were highly correlated between zooplankton and their diets. They were monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), and ω3 and ω6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) for cladocerans, and saturated fatty acids (SAFAs) and ω3 PUFAs for copepods. Several FAs varied significantly less in the zooplankton than in their monoculture diets, e.g. MUFAs in Daphnia, and ω3 and ω6 PUFAs in Ceriodaphnia, despite clear dietary dependency for these FAs. 3. Zooplankton collected from lakes in New Zealand had more eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) (Daphnia), more highly unsaturated ω3 and ω6 FAs (C20, C22; Daphnia, Ceriodaphnia, Boeckella) and less ω3 C18 PUFAs (Daphnia, Ceriodaphnia, Boeckella) and ω6 C18 PUFAs (Daphnia, Ceriodaphnia) than measured in the same species reared on phytoplankton in the laboratory. 4. Analyses of FA composition of seston and freshwater zooplankton globally showed that, in general, zooplankton had a significantly higher proportion of arachidonic acid and EPA than seston, and copepods also had a higher percentage of docosahexaenoic acid than seston. 5. These results suggest that zooplankton selectively incorporate the most physiologically important FAs. This could be a consequence of preferential assimilation, selective feeding on more nutritious cells or locating and feeding within higher food quality food patches.

The effects of seston lipids on zooplankton fatty acid composition in Lake Washington, Washington, USA

We collected suspended particulate matter (seston) and zooplankton samples from Lake Washington in Seattle, Washington, U.S.A., over a 10-month period to investigate the effects of food availability on zooplankton fatty acid (FA) composition. The percentage of nutritionally critical omega3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in the seston varied from 8% of the FA pool in midsummer to 30% during the spring diatom bloom. Zooplankton accumulated much higher percentages omega3 PUFA than was available in the seston. In particular, cladocerans preferentially accumulated eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5omega3), copepods accumulated docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6omega3), and both copepods and cladocerans accumulated 18 carbon chain omega3 PUFAs (C18 omega3). By comparison, the FA of zooplanktivorous juvenile sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) were strongly dominated by EPA (12.5% +/- 2.1%) and DHA (28.2% +/- 8.7%). The saturated fatty acid and the arachidonic acid (ARA, 20:4omega6) composition of Diaptomus ashlandi was strongly (r2 = 0.76) and moderately (r2 = 0.54) correlated with the prevalence of these FAs in the seston. Furthermore, the DHA content of Diaptomus was moderately correlated with the seston's DHA content (r2 = 0.45) and very strongly correlated with seston EPA (r2 = 0.89). Since EPA was the most prevalent PUFA in the seston and DHA was the most prevalent PUFA in Diaptomus, these results suggest that Diaptomus may synthesize DHA from the EPA in their food. In general, zooplankton species in Lake Washington were strongly enriched with those FA molecules that are most physiologically important for fish nutrition (i.e., ARA, EPA, and DHA), indicating a clear mechanism by which changes in seston composition influence fisheries ecology.

A standard protocol for stable isotope analysis of zooplankton in aquatic food web research using mass balance correction models

Stable isotope analysis has become a crucial tool for aquatic food web ecologists, but a lack of methodological standardization hinders comparisons between studies. One methodological inconsistency in stable isotope food web research is the decision whether to extract lipids before stable isotope analysis. The depletion in zooplankton stable carbon isotope values (δ13C) due to fatty acid content and the accuracy of mathematical correction models designed to predict this depletion were examined for a range of zooplankton species from nine lakes of diverse size and productivity. Large differences of up to 5% observed between δ13C values of nonextracted and lipid‐extracted zooplankton samples correlated with zooplankton fatty acid content. A mass balance δ13C correction model for fatty acid content using atomic C:N ratios and directly measured δ13C values of fatty acids accurately predicted (R2 = 0.95) lipid‐extracted δ13C values for both copepod and cladoceran zooplankton. Researchers should use mass balance lipid corrections as an efficient method to eliminate bias in comparisons of zooplankton and fish δ13C values and allow their results to be more easily compared with other studies.

UV effects on stoichiometry and PUFAs of Selenastrum capricornutum and their consequences for the grazer Daphnia magna

Summary1. The effect of ultraviolet (UV) radiation (280–400 nm) on fatty acid composition and elemental ratios of carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) of a unialgal culture of the chlorophyte Selenastrum capricornutum was investigated. Algae were cultured in the presence or absence of UV radiation and were subsequently fed to Daphnia magna to assess potential effects of UV on zooplankton fatty acid composition, growth and reproduction.2. Algal growth rate was substantially reduced by UV radiation, probably because of a severe inhibition of photosynthetic efficiency (measured as optimal quantum yield).3. Algae exposed to UV radiation had a significantly reduced content of 18 : 1 n‐9, while C18 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) were higher under UV radiation. These observations point at an increased demand for and synthesis of PUFAs under UV stress.4. The C : P and N : P ratios showed a remarkable decrease in UV‐exposed cells primarily owing to an increased uptake of P. The nutritional quality in terms of both fatty acid composition and stoichiometry was therefore higher in the UV treatment relative to the control.5. Despite the UV‐induced changes in nutritional quality of S. capricornutum, no significant effects on D. magna growth or reproduction were detected. The fatty acid composition of Daphnia fed on UV irradiated algae showed a significantly lower content of 18 : 1 n‐9, but no changes in the essential PUFAs.

Lipid biomarkers and trophic linkages between phytoplankton, zooplankton and anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) larvae in the NW Mediterranean

Identification and quantification of the main fatty acids in phytoplankton, zooplankton and Engraulis encrasicolus larvae were used to study the relationship among the different trophic levels. Three northwestern Mediterranean sea areas were studied as representative of potentially heterogeneous environments. HPLC pigment analysis was performed to assess the contribution of different phytoplankton groups to total chlorophyll biomass. In spite of the physical variability, a homogeneous pattern in phytoplankton composition among areas was found, with the Prymnesiophyceae representing more than half of the phytoplankton chlorophyll biomass. This homogeneous spatial pattern was also reflected in the phytoplankton fatty acid proportions. Thus, significant amount of 14:0, 18:1(n-9) and 18:4(n-3) could be related to the dominance of the prymnesiophytes; the low proportion of fatty acid markers of diatoms and dinoflagellates agreed with the low abundances of those phytoplankton groups. Zooplankton fatty acids also showed homogeneous proportions in the studied areas, with a preferential accumulation of 16:1(n-7) and 20:5(n-3), and 22:6(n-3). This observation may indicate a preferential grazing on diatoms and dinoflagellates. Anchovy larvae displayed differing fatty acids contributions related to size. Large larvae contained a higher proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA). Small larvae showed a high percentage of 18:1(n-9) and 18:4(n-3) fatty acids, considered Prymnesiophyceae biomarkers. These results suggest an additional food resource for the anchovy that is complementary to a zooplankton diet, but probably of protozoan origin (i.e. microzooplankton). Significant logarithmic relationships were found between dry mass and 20:5(n-3) and 22:6(n-3) fatty acid proportions in E. encrasicolus larvae. These PUFA are considered essential for the fish-larvae development.

Dynamics of sinking particles in northern Japan trench in the western North Pacific: biogenic chemical components and fatty acids biomarkers

Abstract Biogenic opal was predominant component, and had strongly positive correlation with organic carbon in both traps. The average atomic ratios of biogenic opal and calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ) were also large (7.1 and 11 in the shallow and deep trap, respectively) and the highest ratio was found in May 1995, when the biogenic opal proportion (%) to the total particle flux and C org /C inorg ratio increased concomitantly. However, transient switching of the biogenic opal and CaCO 3 ratios (0.6 and 0.8) was observed in winter 1995, which seems to be related to a warm-core ring developed in the northwestern Pacific. Downward fluxes of fatty acids as molecular markers were determined and compared with major biogenic chemical components in sinking particles. As a diatom index of fatty acids, the 16:1(n-7)/16:0 ratio is positively related to biogenic opal contribution (%) to the sinking particles in the shallow and deep traps. 20:5(n-3) proportion (%) was also correlated with opal content (%) in sinking particles in the 1-km trap. In addition, a major source of sinking fatty acids in the western North Pacific might be characterized by algal fatty acids as a diatom marker (16:1(n-7)), comparing to a zooplankton fatty acid (18:1(n-9)) in the central North Pacific and fecal pellets and coccolithophores in the eastern North Pacific, respectively. Also, PUFA index (a measure of polyunsaturated fatty acids contribution to the total fatty acids) correlated well with Chl a inventory in surface 0–50 m water. These results suggest that undegraded diatomaceous fatty acids are present in sinking particles, and the composition of fatty acids is useful to understand the origin of sinking organic particles.

Unusual changes of zooplankton fatty acid composition in the northern Adriatic during the 1991 mucilage event

Fatty acids and pristane/heptadecane (Pr/C17) ratlo were analysed in zooplankton samples collected with a sediment trap in the northeastern Adriatic Sea from April 1991 to June 1992 in 2 to 6 wk intervals. Saturated (SAT; 22 to 68% of total fatty acid mass fraction), monounsaturated (MONO; 20 to 39'0), and polyunsaturated (PUFA; 6 to 49%) fatty acid proportions, total fatty acid mass fraction (2.3 to 46.5 mg g-I dry wt), and Pr/CII ratio (0.5 to 27) varied significantly during the investigated period. Unusually low fatty acid mass fractions (2.3 to 5.1 mg g.' dry wt), PUFA proportions (6%) , and Pr/C17 ratio [< l ) measured In summer 1991 were ascribed to a drastic zooplankton starvation due to a mucilage event, a phenomenon that can occur periodically (every 10 to 50 yr) in the region. Low PUFA proportions (12%) were also measured in winter/early spring 1992, but the C14:O and C16:l proportions, and Pr/C,, ratio (9 to 21) exhibited their highest values of the investigated period. This indicated more favourable feeding conditions and significant phytoplankton contributions in the zooplankton diets than in summer 1991. The highest total mass fraction (12.2 to 46.5 mg g-' dry wt) and PUFA proportions (30 to 49 %) were observed during spring and autumn, when the food supply was probably sufficient and diverse. The olelc acid (C18:lng) proportions (12 to 22%) in the northeastern Adriatic were higher than in other marine regions.

Contribution of zooplankton lipids to the flux of organic matter in the northern Adriatic Sea

Analyses of particulate material collected by se&ment traps moored at a location in the northern Adnatic Sea in 1991 revealed the presence of zooplankton fatty acids, even though zooplankton and other 'swimmers' killed by the trap's preservative were carefully removed. Laboratory experiments were conducted to (1) prove the existence of zooplankton lipids within fecal pellets, (2) exclude the possibihty of incomplete separation of swimmers and other material as eventual contamination with polyunsaturated fatty acids in fecal pellets, (3) evaluate the importance of zooplankton lipids to mass flux and (4) reveal the mechanisms which lead to excretion of undigested organic matter, in this case polyunsaturated fatty acids. Our results show that the main source of fatty acids found in mass flux were zooplankton lipid droplets inside fecal pellets. The predominant fatty acids of zooplankton fecal pellets were saturated acid 16:0, monounsaturated acid 18:l and polyunsaturated acid 22:6. Lipid composition of fecal pellets was compared with those of zooplankton and phytoplankton. Aliquots of collected fecal pellets were stained with Nile Red in order to visualize lipid droplets within fecal pellets.