PARENT SESSION
Poster Session 4: Marine Ecology
Monday, August 8, 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM, Exhibit Hall 220 A-E, Level 2, Palais des congrès de Montréal

Environmental studues on the Mysid species Mesopodopsis slabberi (Crustecea: Mysidacea) in temperate shallow estuaries of the Portuguese western coast: A review.

Azeiteiro, Ulisses^*,1, Pastorinho, Ramiro², Sardo, Ana³, Morgado, Fernando⁴, ¹ IMAR - Institute of Marine Research, Coimbra² Universidade de Aveiro, Aveiro³ Universidade de Aveiro, Aveiro⁴ Universidade de Aveiro, Aveiro

ABSTRACT- The main objective of this study was to review the information about Mesopodopsis slabberi (van Beneden) biology (population dynamics, biochemical composition, histology and histochemistry) and ecology (distribution and production ecological forcing functions and toxicology). M. slabberi has been studied in two Portuguese western coastal zones: Mondego estuary and Ria de Aveiro lagoon. M. slabberi is the most abundant among 14 species of mysids in the Mondego estuary and plays an important ecological role in the pelagic communities, making a substantial contribution to the pelagic standing stock. As in other estuaries, due to its abundance, M. slabberi has a key role in the energy flow from suprabenthic to plankton and nekton communities accounting for total available carbon consumption of up to 70%; it is a selective grazer with a pronounced impact on phytoplankton communities. The M. slabberi population has continuous reproduction in the Mondego estuary, exhibiting clear spatial and temporal (tidal; seasonal) migration patterns. The high specific production of M. slabberi population, the observation that in M. slabberi biochemical changes result mainly from metabolic purposes related to the environmental conditions and nutritional cycle (were observed significant temporal differences in all biochemical components) and less important with reproductive synthesis and the observation that all sampled material demonstrated the presence of reproductive cells (oocytes) in mature ovigerous, brood pouched or resting mature females, with capability (by its development status and qualitative carbohydrate and lipid contents reserve material) for continuous reproduction, reinforces that the environmental conditions and nutritional cycle are the determinant conditions in the observed biochemical variation patterns in the Mondego estuary. The yearly cycle, like other estuarine temperate species, appears to cope with seasonal changes in the environment. The ecotoxicological study conducted with individuals collected in the Ria de Aveiro lagoon demonstrated that M. slabberi histological changes are sensitive indicators of sublethal concentrations of lead and toxic compounds proving that lead accumulates in M. slabberi tissues in the form of accumulations that are in mysid reproductive structures.

Key words: Mesopodopsis slabberi, biology, ecology, estuaries