Strong Sensitivity of Red Sea Zooplankton to UV-B Radiation

Ali M. Al-Aidaroos, Mohsen M.O. El-Sherbiny, Sathianeson Satheesh, Gopikrishna Mantha, Susana Agustī, Beatriz Carreja, Carlos M. Duarte*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

13 Scopus citations

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.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)846-853
Number of pages8
JournalEstuaries and Coasts
Volume38
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - May 1 2015

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This work was funded by the Deanship of Scientific Research (DSR), King Abdulaziz University (grant no. 1-150/1433 HiCi). The authors, therefore, acknowledge with thanks the DSR technical and financial support. We thank Mr. Muaadh Al-Nuwarah, Mr. Ahmed Al-Haj, and Mr. Reny Devassy for their help in the field and the laboratory. We also thank Dr. Sambhu Chithambaran for providing facilities in the fish farm and Mr. Salman A. Al-Ahmadi and Mr. Bandar Al-Shareef for logistic assistance.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2014, Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation.

Keywords

  • Copepods
  • Holoplankton
  • Meroplankton
  • Red Sea
  • UV-B impacts

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
  • Aquatic Science
  • Ecology

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