Recruitment and mortality of Calanus eggs and nauplii

As the mortality of egg and nauplii is most variable, least understood, and yet by far the greatest, we place most emphasis on these stages. We will measure early mortality and its variability in Calanus, assess underlying causes, with the aim of understanding the consequences of changing physical and biological forces in the natural environment.

We will perform detailed experimental work in the laboratory, make appropriate measures in the North Atlantic, and work at the L4 station off Plymouth, and Stonehaven off Aberdeen. The study will target fecundity and hatch success as recruitment terms, and the effects of food, starvation, and temperature on early nauplii development, growth and survival/mortality in C. finmarchicus and C. helgolandicus. Rates of cannibalistic predation and their control will be investigated, as well as determining which predators are most important at the North Atlantic stations.