Publications by authors named "Heather Nadeau"
Ambient temperature and algal prey type affect essential fatty acid incorporation and trophic upgrading in a herbivorous marine copepod.
Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci
August 2020
Article Synopsis
- Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are essential fatty acids vital for marine life, and rising ocean temperatures affect their transfer through the food chain.
- A study using laboratory-reared copepodites evaluated how different temperatures (6°C, 12°C, and increased stress) and types of prey (dinoflagellates vs. diatoms) influenced EFA incorporation and growth efficiency.
- Results indicated that warmer temperatures generally enhance EPA and DHA ingestion in copepodites, though diatoms affected DHA differently; copepodites can synthesize EPA even when dietary levels are low, suggesting resilience in marine food webs under changing conditions.