An Empirical and Modeling Analysis of the Impact of Hypoxia on Copepod Population Dynamics

沿海水域缺氧的发生频率和持续时间都在增加。低氧/缺氧对河口和沿海水域生物群影响的研究通常集中在具有重要商业价值的底栖或海底动物群上。对浮游动物的影响很少受到关注，但微型和中型浮游动物是海洋食物网的重要组成部分。桡足类尤其构成了这些地区幼鱼饮食的重要组成部分。本研究关注海洋桡足类动物缺氧和缺氧对种群水平的影响。由于桡足类是远洋海洋系统中数量最多的浮游动物群体之一，低氧水平对桡足类的有害影响可能对它们的许多捕食者产生相当大的影响。这些研究将结合实验操作和根据实验室结果构建的矩阵种群模型。最终产品将允许检查缺氧/缺氧如何影响桡足动物种群，以及在这一关键生命阶段依赖这些生物作为食物的幼鱼。

The occurrence of hypoxia/anoxia in coastal waters has been increasing in frequency and duration. Studies of the impact of hypoxia/anoxia on the biota of estuarine and coastal waters have typically focused on commercially important benthic or demersal fauna. The impact on zooplankton has received little attention yet micro- and meso- zooplankton are important elements in marine food webs. Copepods in particular constitute a critical component of the diet of larval fish in these regions. This research is concerned with the population -level consequences of hypoxia and anoxia for marine copepods. Because copepods are one of the most abundant zooplankton groups in pelagic marine systems, the detrimental effects of low oxygen levels on copepods can have a sizable impact on their many predators. These studies will combine experimental manipulations with matrix population models constructed from laboratory results. The final product will allow an examination of how hypoxia/anoxia affects copepod populations and by association, the juvenile fish that rely on these organisms for food during this critical life stage.