Modelling the dynamics of growth, development and lipid storage in the marine copepod Calanus finmarchicus.

ABSTRACT: Mechanistic models are essential tools for interpreting and predicting the consequences of a changing environment and stressors such as pollution on the life histories of marine organisms. Here, we apply the simple and generic energy-budget model DEBkiss to the life history of the marine copepod Calanus finmarchicus. Model modifications were needed to accommodate the copepod life cycle, which deviates in several respects from most other animals (e.g., a sudden stop of growth after the final moult). We identified an acceleration of growth in the early copepodite stages, which could be linked to an increase in the specific feeding rate of the animals. Lipid storage, an essential element of C. finmarchicus biology, was successfully captured with the reproduction buffer of the DE

SUBMITTER: Jager T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5126210 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature