Impact of anoxia and sulfide on the viability of eggs of three planktonic copepods

Abstract

Eggs of 3 calanold copepods Acartla tonsa, Centropages hamatus and Labldocera aestlva were exposed to elther anoxla or anoxla/sulflde Mean sulflde concentrations ranged from 283 to 352 IvI Vlablllty, determined at 4 d intervals for 32 d and judged as hatchlng success under normoxla was variable, but generally decllned w ~t h increasing tlme of exposure Values for hatchlng success were transformed to problts to determine the medlan lethal t ~m e s of exposure to anoxia and anoxla/sulfide and 95% confidence limlts We observed no slgnlf~cant difference in the mortality of eggs exposed to anoxla/sulfide compared to anoxla alone and suggest that eggs switch to anaeroblc metabolism when exposed to anoxla