The measurement of growth and reproductive rates By J. A. Runge and J. C. Roff

Contents Questions Comments and corrections New protocols Back to the main page

Contents 9.1 Introduction: why to measure growth and reproductive rates of zooplankton ? - Factors controlling the dynamics of copepod populations - Variability in the production of the prey field for fish larvae - The influence of food availability on growth and egg laying rates, including the linkage between copepod spawning and primary production cycles - Evaluation of environmental impacts - Estimation of secondary production 9.2 Models of growth and fecundity - Physiological or laboratory – derived budgetary models - Temperature – dependent empirical model - Global model of in – situ weight – specific growth 9.3 Determination of egg production rate: broadcast spawning copepods - The basic method - Procedures: know your species - Capture and handling - Duration of incubation - Incubation containers and density of females - Temperature - Light regime - Food supply - Statistical considerations - Estimation of spawning frequency from preserved samples - Egg viability 9.4 egg production rates of egg carrying copepods - Egg ratio method - Incubation method 9.5 The determination of growth rate - Estimation of growth rate from preserved samples and demographic information - Estimation of development time - Estimation of mean weight - Limitations and sources of error - Direct measurements of growth rate - The basic method - Procedures 9.6 Biochemical and radiochemical methods - Ratio of biochemical quantities - Hormones and growth factors - Enzyme activities - Radiochemical methods - In vitro incorporation - In vivo uptake - In vivo injection - In vivo ingestion 9.7 Measurement of egg production rate of a marine planktonic copepod (Calanus finmarchicus) - Facilities - Equipment and supplies - Procedures - Capture - Sorting the catch - Incubation - Data analysis 9.8 Direct determination of copepod molting and growth rates in the field - Facilities and equipment - Supplies - Procedure - “Artificial cohort method” - “Sorting method” - Data analysis and interpretation - Molting rates - Growth rates - Notes and comments - Creation of artificial cohorts: alternative techniques - Changing the water 9.9 Acknowledgements 9.10 References Top of the Document Questions Top of the Document Comments and corrections Top of the Document New Protocols Top of the Document