New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research abstracts

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Differential UVB-sensitivities of five New Zealand freshwater zooplankton species

DIRK LUDWIG WÜBBEN
EKKEHARD VARESCHI

Institute for Chemistry and Biology
of the Marine Environment (ICBM)
University of Oldenburg
P. O. Box 2503
D-26111 Oldenburg, Germany
email: ekkehard.vareschi@uni-oldenburg.de

IAN HAWES

National Institute of Water & Atmospheric
Research Ltd
P. O. Box 8602
Christchurch, New Zealand

GREG BODEKER

National Institute of Water & Atmospheric
Research Ltd
P. O. Box 50 061, Omakau
Central Otago, New Zealand

Abstract  The ultraviolet (UV) sensitivity of five species of freshwater zooplankton (three Cladocera, two Copepoda) were investigated. The animals were exposed to varying levels of UV-radiation in a sunshine-simulator and the UV doses for 10 and 50% mortality (LD10, LD50) were estimated using a dose-response model. To place these doses in context they were compared with modelled clear-sky surface UV irradiances in New Zealand. The cladocerans Daphnia carinata and Ceriodaphnia dubia were sensitive to levels of UVB irradiance of LD10 = 18-25 kJ m^-2 and LD50 = 35-37 kJ m^-2. These sensitivities are consistent with published values for other cladocera. In contrast a third cladoceran, Bosmina meridionalis, exhibited no higher mortality over the full range of the cumulative UVB-doses used (3-40 kJ m^-2) than controls receiving no UV exposure. The copepod Boeckella delicata showed the highest UV-sensitivity of all organisms tested (LD10 = 7 kJ m^-2, LD50 = 33 kJ m^-2) whereas for Boeckella triarticulata, which was more heavily pigmented than B. delicata, no UV-induced mortality was observed. Under natural conditions UV irradiances of up to 100 kJ m^-2 day^-1 can fall on the surface of New Zealand lakes. Although this is attenuated in natural waters, these data suggest that UVB irradiance may be a significant ecological variable to some zooplankton species.

Keywords  UVB radiation; zooplankton; New Zealand lakes

New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 2001, Vol. 35: 635-645

0028-8330/01/3503-0635 $7.00 (c) The Royal Society of New Zealand 2001

PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (782K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)

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