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BIOBIOT-Biologi, bioteknologi, Mat. Nat.

Molecular analysis of trade-offs in growth and reproductive allotment in a vital component of marine zooplankton

Awarded: NOK 1.5 mill.

The appendicularia play a central role in marine ecosystems: 1) they are the second most abundant zooplankton after copepods, 2) they shortcut the microbial trophic loop, rapidly recycling nutrients to higher trophic levels, including commercially importa nt fish species, 3) the houses within which they live and feed are shed and frequently resynthesized, and are a major component of "marine snow" - therefore they have a major impact on global vertical carbon fluxes. We will analyse commitment to growth v ersus commitment to reproduction in this vital component of marine zooplankton, using morphological, biochemical and molecular assays. Under differing, controlled, regimes of food resources and temperature, the following parameters will be measured during the life cycle: - growth curves, rates of house synthesis, and size and numbers of gametes at maturity, - dry weight and amino acid composition of prehouses, versus dry weight of whole animals and gonads, - quantitative and qualitative ana lysis of fatty acid composition in individual animals and in gametes, - quantitation of house protein mRNA (growth phase) versus vitellogenin mRNA levels (oogenesis).

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BIOBIOT-Biologi, bioteknologi, Mat. Nat.

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