Strong sensitivity of Red Sea Zooplankton to UV-B Radiation

by Ali M. Al-Aidaroos, Mohsen M. O. El-Sherbiny, Sathianeson Satheesh, Gopikrishna Mantha, Susana Agustí, Beatriz Carreja, Carlos M. Duarte
Year: 2015 ISSN: DOI: 10.1007/s12237-014-9868-4

Bibliography

Al-Aidaroos, A.M., El-Sherbiny, M.M.O., Satheesh, S. et al. Strong sensitivity of Red Sea Zooplankton to UV-B Radiation. Estuaries and Coasts (2015) 38: 846. doi:10.1007/s12237-014-9868-4

Abstract

​The impacts of UV-B radiation to Red Sea coastal zooplankton was assessed experimentally at the time (May/June) of peak UV-B radiation, using the most abundant zooplankton species in the community (eight copepod genera, a cladoceran, an ostracod, a cumacean, and two meroplankton, including crab zoeae and megalopa). Mortality rates increased greatly in the presence of ambient UV-B radiation for all species tested except for Labidocera, Macrosetella, and the crab megalopa larvae. Mortality rates declined, on average, threefold when UV-B radiation was removed. These results provide evidence that Red Sea zooplankton are highly vulnerable to ambient levels of UV-B radiation.

Keywords

UV-B impacts Copepods Holoplankton Meroplankton Red Sea