L’estuaire de Seine est l’un des plus pollués de l’hémisphère nord dû notamment à ses activités urbaines et agricoles de son bassin versant. Malgré cela le copépode E. affinis représente 90 % de la biomasse zooplanctonique en estuaire de Seine. L’objectif de la thèse était de développer un nouveau Bio-essAi Survie Croissance copépode (BASIC) à l’aide du copépode E. affinis sur différentes matrices environnementales. Dans un premier temps, le bio-essai a été mise au point à l’aide de sédiments enrobés avec des molécules modèles représentatives de la contamination estuarienne (APs, HAPS et PCBs) avant d’être validé, par la suite, sur des sédiments naturels de l’estuaire de Seine. Le bio-essai à ensuite été appliqué en solution au 4-NP et au PCB 126 et sur Vibrio anguillarum issus de l’estuaire de Seine. Un protocole d’exposition multi-générationnel a été appliqué dans les mêmes conditions pendant trois générations. Les résultats recensés ont montré un effet sur le développement larvaire lors des expositions après 6 jours d’expositions à des sédiments enrobés. Dans le cadre des expositions en solution, des résultats similaires ont été obtenus, notamment, un retard de croissance après deux jours d’exposition au 4-NP et au PCB 126 corrélé avec les niveaux d’activité chitobiase. En revanche, à la fin de l’expérimentation ce résultat n’est plus observé. Lors des expositions à Vibrio anguillarum, une augmentation de l’activité chitobiase a été enregistrée les premiers jours de l’exposition, impliquant une augmentation de la croissance au sixième jour. Dans le cadre des expérimentions multi-générationnelle, le copépode semble se stabiliser à la troisième génération. / Seine estuary is one of the most polluted in the northern hemisphere largely due to its urban and agricultural activities of its watershed. Despite this the copepod E. affinis represents 90% of zooplankton biomass in the Seine estuary. The aim of the thesis was to develop a new bioassay Survival Growth copepod with the copepod E. affinis on various environmental matrices. Initially, the bioassay was developed using sediments spiked with molecules representative models of estuarine contamination (APs, PAHS and PCBs) before being validated on natural sediments of the Seine estuary. The bioassay was applied in solution 4-NP and PCB 126 and Vibrio anguillarum from the Seine estuary. A multi-generational exposure protocol was applied under the same conditions for three generations. The results showed an effect on larval development after 6 days of exposure to sediments. In solution, similar results were obtained, including, retarded growth after two days of exposure to 4-NP and PCB 126 correlated with chitobiase activity levels. However, at the end of the experiment the result is not observed. At exposition with Vibrio anguillarum, increased activity was recorded chitobiase the first days, involving an increase in growth in the sixth day. As part of the multi-generational experimenting, the copepod appears to be stabilizing at the third generation.

Les écosystèmes aquatiques constituent la destination finale des contaminants. Les organismes aquatiques sont ainsi impactés par un cocktail de molécules, dont les produits phytosanitaires. Le caractère perturbateur endocrinien (PE) de certains d’entre eux est particulièrement préoccupant. La présente étude explore les effets de pesticides modèles à potentiel PE – la chlordécone (CLD) et le pyriproxyfène (PXF), seuls et en mélange – chez le copépode estuarien Eurytemora affinis par des approches écotoxicogénomiques innovantes. En réponse aux PE, l’accent a été porté sur les effets de ces composés sur la reproduction, la croissance ou le développement. En parallèle, l’affinité des pesticides aux récepteurs aux oestrogènes et aux androgènes humains d’une part, et aux ecdystéroïdes d’autre part, a été étudiée grâce à des outils bio analytiques afin d’évaluer la pertinence de l’utilisation du potentiel PE défini par les tests cellulaires comme critère d’exclusion dans la réglementation européenne des pesticides. Ces travaux de thèse présentent, pour la première fois, les transcriptomes et protéomes d’E. affinis après exposition aux PE. Un effet sexe-dépendant a été observé par les deux approches « omics » révélant un plus fort impact des composés sur les copépodes mâles. Des gènes et protéines, impliqués dans le processus de mue et dans la gamétogénèse ont été identifiés comme candidats pour le développement de biomarqueurs moléculaires de PE chez les crustacés. Les tests cellulaires ont permis de mettre en évidence des interactions entre les contaminants et les récepteurs hormonaux. Toutefois, le screening de molécules par les tests YES/YAS/anti-YES/anti-YAS s’est heurté à quelques limites d’interprétations. Enfin, les résultats du test S2 EcR, souligne la pertinence de l'utilisation couplée de tests spécifiques d’un système endocrinien de vertébrés et d’invertébrés dans l’évaluation du risque des composés PE. / Aquatic ecosystems constitute the chemicals’ final destination. Among the xenobiotics, endocrine disruptors (ED) are compounds of major concern. In this context, ED pesticides effects were investigated in the widespread copepod Eurytemora Affinis using ecotoxicogenomics technics. In response to PE pesticides, focus was made on reproduction, growth and development. In order to evaluate the endocrine activity, in vitro tests (YES/YAS/anti-YES/anti-YAS and S2 EcR) were used to screen the compounds alone and in mixtures. These results were discussed to evaluate the “cut off criterion” used in European assessment. This work presents for the first time, transcriptomes and proteomes of E. affinis after PXF and CLD –alone and in binary mixture- exposure. A sex dependent effect was observed by the two “omics” approaches. Male copepods were more impacted by contaminants than female copepods. Genes and proteins (e.g. chitin deacetylase, kelch protein) were identified as candidates for the development of ED molecular biomarkers. In vitro tests highlighted binding of pesticides with both vertebrate and invertebrate receptors. However, a toxicity for the highest concentrations tested and some limits for the interpretation of mixtures results were limiting in YES/YAS/anti-YES/anti-YAS assays. The last observation represents particularly a major concern for interpretation of the ED mode of action of environmental matrix. S2 EcR highlighted some complementary results about the mode of action of chemicals alone and in binary mixtures. These results accentuate the need to combine vertebrate specific test and invertebrate specific test in ED risk assessment.

Re-creation and building new small freshwater habitats belong among the important management activities within the Protected Landscape Area Kokořínsko - Máchův kraj (Czech Republic) for almost two decades. These pools keep the water within the landscape and serve as the habitats for vulnerable species of amphibians and invertebrates, which I have studied within this thesis. Most studies focusing on studying metacommunities of small water bodies have been based on the data from one or two seasons, and thus completely neglect the development of composition of these metacommunities over longer periods of time. This thesis builds on previous research on the species composition of small ponds in the Kokořínsko Protected Landscape Area, which had been done in 2005 and 2006. In 2009 and 2017, sampling in the same ponds continued. I investigated the influence of spatial and environmental variables of individual ponds on the species composition of ostracods, copepods and molluscs in specific years and how has the representation of individual species changed among those years. With one exception, I have not observed any new incoming species of copepods and ostracods since 2006; the number of species had in fact decreased. In the case of molluscs, there was a significant exchange of species between individual...

Cyclopoids are together with Calanoids and Harpacticoids a part of the largest, very diverse group of crustaceans and the most numerous aquatic metazoans of the world. The history of their research goes as far back as to the beginning of 19th century when the first cyclopoid copepods were described. The taxonomy of cyclopoids started to develop gradually since that time, adding new and more detailed methods and morphological characters, as well as a certain degree of taxonomical confusion. In last decades, the molecular-genetic techniques of DNA sequencing have become available offering a new independent tool for taxonomists. This work contains different studies concerning the morphology, taxonomy, ecology, distribution and colonisation of cyclopoid copepods, with the use of molecular tools as a uniting element. Chapter 1 of this thesis summarizes basic knowledge about the taxonomy, morphology and biology of cyclopoid copepods and introduces the following chapters containing four studies presented as single publications. The taxonomy of copepods of the genus Cyclops is based mainly on the morphology which is sometimes ambivalent and some of the most problematic species groups are presented here. Chapter 2 presents our unique results, the first reconstruction of phylogenetic relationships among 15...

Submitted by Marilene Donadel (marilene.donadel@unioeste.br) on 2017-08-24T20:30:26Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Marcos_Mendonca_2012.pdf: 684954 bytes, checksum: d5ae05408d1d7627c59e9d1588f8a7f4 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-08-24T20:30:26Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Marcos_Mendonca_2012.pdf: 684954 bytes, checksum: d5ae05408d1d7627c59e9d1588f8a7f4 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-10-29 / The lagoons are important lentic systems considered breeding and food sites for the growth stages of development of many fish species. The interrelationships among these communities in lentic marginal environments present as a complex dynamic that may be considered in determining structure, especially in terms of distribution and abundance of organisms in these communities. Among these interrelationships, the predator-prey interaction between organisms and zooplankton zooplanktivorous is one of the most important aspects in ecology. This study aimed to verify the occurrence of larval H. edentatus and relate the densities of zooplankton groups (cladocerans rotifers and copepods), specifically aims to: i) analyze monthly occurrences per period (day and night) and strata (surface and bottom) larvae of H. edentatus and zooplankton, ii) Relate the abundances of zooplankton with the larvae and iii) Relate the abundances of zooplankton with different stages of larval development. Samples were collected from October 2010 to March 2011 in the Xambrê lagoon in surface and bottom layers of the pond, at times 04h, 08h, 16h and 20h. Was registered the highest density of larvae in November and stage of development with higher density was flexion, being registered largest catches of larvae in the deep pond. Among the groups of zooplankton rotifers had higher abundance and positive relationship with the occurrence of larvae stage of pre-bending. According to the results, we can observe a sharp vertical migration behavior for larvae of H. edentatus especially for the later stages of development, which already possess greater swimming capacity. The opposite trends recorded (especially in January) indicate a possible larval predation pressure on zooplankton, especially the less advanced stages of rotifers and most advanced on cladocerans and copepods. / As lagoas marginais são importantes sistemas lênticos consideradas áreas de reprodução locais de crescimento e alimentação para os estágios iniciais de desenvolvimento de muitas espécies de peixes. As inter-relações entre as comunidades presentes em ambientes lênticos marginais se apresentam como uma complexa dinâmica que podem ser consideradas determinantes na estruturação, especialmente em termos de distribuição e abundância dos organismos dessas comunidades. Dentre essas inter-relações, a interação predador-presa entre os organismos zooplanctônico e organismos zooplanctófago é um dos aspectos mais importantes na ecologia. Este trabalho teve por objetivo verificar as ocorrências larvais de H. edentatus e relacionar com as densidades dos grupos de zooplâncton (rotíferos cladóceros e copépodos), Especificamente pretende-se: i) Analisar as ocorrências mensais, por período (diurno e noturno) e estratos (superfície e fundo) de larvas de H. edentatus e do zooplâncton; ii) Relacionar as abundâncias de zooplâncton com as de larvas e iii) Relacionar as abundâncias de zooplâncton com os diferentes estágios de desenvolvimento larval. As amostragens foram feitas de outubro de 2010 a março de 2011 na lagoa Xambrê, nos estratos superfície e fundo da lagoa, nos horários 04h, 08h, 16h e 20h. Foi registrado maior densidade de larvas no mês de novembro e o estágio de desenvolvimento com maior densidade foi de flexão. Sendo registrados maiores capturas de larvas no fundo da lagoa. Entre os grupos de zooplâncton os rotíferos apresentaram maior abundância e relação positiva com as ocorrências de larvas em estágio de pré-flexão. De acordo com os resultados obtidos, pode-se observar um nítido comportamento de migração vertical para as larvas de H. edentatus especialmente para os estágios mais avançados de desenvolvimento, os quais já possuem uma maior capacidade natatória. As tendências opostas registradas (especialmente no mês de janeiro) indicam haver uma possível pressão de predação de larvas sobre o zooplâncton, principalmente dos estágios menos avançados sobre os rotíferos e mais avançados sobre os cladóceros e copépodos.

Mesozooplankton are of critical importance to marine food webs by transferring energy from the microbial food web to higher trophic levels and depositing energy to the deeper ocean layers through fecal deposition. While decades of research have shown that viruses have significant impacts in the oceans, and infect a wide range of organisms from bacteria to whales, there is still little known about the impacts of viruses on the mesozooplankton community. As copepods are the most abundant mesozooplankton group, this study sought to characterize the viruses present in natural populations of the calanoid copepods Acartia tonsa and Labidocera aestiva in Tampa Bay, Florida. Viral metagenomics revealed two virus genomes, named Acartia tonsa copepod circovirus (AcCopCV) and Labidocera aestiva copepod circovirus (LaCopCV), which were discovered in their respective copepod species. Both viruses show amino-acid similarities to known circoviruses, and phylogenetic and genomic analyses suggest they may be divergent members of the Circoviridae family. LaCopCV was found to be extremely prevalent in the L. aestiva population, with up to 100% of individuals infected. High viral loads for LaCopCV were observed by quantitative PCR, with an average viral load of 1.3x105 copies per individual. In addition, transcription of the LaCopCV replication gene was detected in L. aestiva, demonstrating active viral replication. AcCopCV could be detected sporadically in A. tonsa populations throughout the year. The circoviruses were specific to their respective hosts, and were not detected in the other copepod species or surrounding seawater. Virus-like particles were observed in A. tonsa and L. aestiva under transmission electron microscopy, demonstrating that viruses were actively proliferating in copepod connective tissue, as opposed to gut tissue, parasites, or symbionts. Preliminary results from in-situ hybridization show that the AcCopCV genome can be detected in A. tonsa tissue, linking the discovered genomes to virus propagation in copepod tissue. This is the first study describing viruses in copepods, as well as the first discovery of circoviruses infecting marine organisms. These results suggest that viruses impact marine copepod populations, necessitating further studies to determine the ecological impacts of viruses on the mesozooplankton community.

The study investigated biological and ecological parameters controlling and influencing the production and distribution of the free-swimming larval stages of Lepeophtheirus salmonis (Kroyer, 1838), and to a lesser extent Caligus elongatus Nordmann 1832, in the natural environment The reproductive output of L. salmonis was influenced by seasonal effects. The number of eggs produced per brood showed an inverse relationship with increasing temperature. The number of eggs per brood was also influenced by adult female body size (cephalothorax length), which in itself exhibited an inverse relationship with increasing temperature. Photoperiod had no significant effect upon the number of eggs produced or on adult female size. Mean egg size of L. salmonis varied significantly over the year; larger eggs were produced during the summer months and smaller eggs over the winter. However, factors controlling the size of the eggs were not elucidated. The proportion of viable eggs per L. salmonis ovisac remained constant throughout the year. Large variations in egg number per egg string were found in both L. salmonis and C elongatus populations sampled at one point in time. These were attributed in part to phenotypic variation in adult female size and also the number of broods individual females had produced. Egg viability was not correlated with brood size, but mean egg size was related to the number of eggs per brood. Experimental studies indicated that hatching and development of L. salmonis was highly variable. The percentage of eggs hatched and the time period over which hatching occurred varied markedly, even when held under constant and optimal environmental conditions. Temperature did not affect hatching success or viability of the nauplius I stage, although at higher temperatures the period over which hatching occurred was reduced. Low and medium salinities caused a significant decrease in both hatching success and nauplius viability. Photoperiod had no effect on initiation of hatching. Hatching occurred in a manner similar to that observed in free-living copepods. The nauplii were enclosed by two egg membranes, the outer one bursting within the ovisac, the inner one after the ovisac membrane has split. Swelling of the egg and its subsequent hatching was attributed to osmotic effects, with water being taken up from the external environment. Development was also highly dependent upon both temperature and salinity. At 5'C, nauplius 11 stages failed to enter the moult to the copepodid stage. At 7.5'C, although moulting was initiated, in a large proportion of cases it was not successfully completed. At I O'C, development to the copepodid stage was successful. Nauplii only developed successfully to the copepodid stage at salinities of 25%o or greater. Copepodids raised under optimal conditions then exposed to a range of salinities had a greater salinity tolerance than nauplii. Biochemical analysis of the eggs of L. salmonis revealed that lipids constituted a large proportion of their dry weight. Naupliar stages contained a discrete area containing lipid which decreased in size over time, suggesting that the free-swimming larval stages utilised this as an energy reserve. Rate of depletion was faster in nauplii held at higher temperatures. Longevity, activity and infectivity of the infective stage decreased with age. However, both spontaneous and stimulus dependent activity ceased many hours before death and both activity and longevity were affected by temperature. Infectivity of I day old L. salmonis copepodids was higher than 7 day old larvae, and was considered to be related to the size of the energy reserves. The settlement and distribution pattern of copepodids did not change with age of copepodid, the majority being recorded from the fins. All three L. salmonis free-swimming larval stages demonstrated a "hop and sink" swimming pattern. The velocity and duration of both passive sinking and active swimming was recorded for both nauplii and copepodids. Although greater periods of time were spent passively sinking, the speeds obtained during both upward spontaneous and stimulated swimming meant that a net upward movement of larvae in the water column occurred. At higher temperatures spontaneous swimming activity increased, whilst low salinities caused a cessation of such ability. L. salmonis larvae were positively phototactic and negatively geotactic. As well as their positive responses to light intensity, the nauplius 11 and copepodid stages reacted positively to blue-green spectral wavelengths. Moulting times were relatively short, although the larvae were not able to swim during such periods. No relationship was found between the level of lipid reserves and the overall buoyancy of the larvae. Naupliar stages of both L. salmonis and C. elongalus were obtained from the water column as a result of a plankton sampling programme at a commercial Atlantic salmon farm. No copepodid stages of either species were found. There was no difference in the vertical distribution of the two L. salmonis naupliar stages. Live larvae tended to aggregate between 0 and 5m in depth, with no diurnal vertical migration. Dead nauplii, and those with low lipid reserves, were found deeper in the water column. Naupliar stages, and in particular the first larval stage, were concentrated in number within cages indicating that the cages have a retentive characteristic. A novel control method in the form of a commercially available light lure was tested. Though increasing the numbers of free-living copepods captured, it had no effect on the numbers of L. salmonis naupliar or copepodid stages obtained in plankton samples. The present study has therefore provided valuable data concerning the biology and ecology of the free-swimming larval stages of sea lice, in what was a comparatively poorly understood area.

Blastodinium, a genus of the phytoplanktonic dinoflagellates, was found to be inhabiting the gut region of the copepod species Labidocera. Copepods are ubiquitous in aquatic environments, being the most numerous multicellular organisms on planet earth. Being primary consumers, they play important ecological roles, passing energy from one trophic level to the next. As zooplankton, estuarine copepods contribute substantially to carbon cycling as they undergo diurnal migration to avoid daylight UV-B damage and surface water predation. Blastodinium are presumed to infect copepods via ingestion of zoospores by juvenile hosts, who function as microhabitats for acquiring nutrients in non-photosynthetic species or in nutrient-limited environments. Blastodinium may hinder reproduction of copepod hosts, thereby influencing local copepod populations and, by extension, food webs up to humanity. Copepod populations may also help contain disease spread, such as malaria and Dengue fever, through their consumption of mosquito larvae in standing water. Further evaluation of copepods for Blastodinium may help shed light on the limited knowledge of this species and the nature of its relationship with copepods, as well as its effects on copepod populations and the higher order consequences of its parasitism.

Ce travail a pour objectif d’étudier la biodiversité et la dynamique du zooplancton en relation avec les paramètres environnementaux dans la lagune Ghar El Melh au niveau de 5 stations à travers un suivi bimensuel allant de février 2011 à janvier 2012. Cette étude vise également à déterminer l’impact des régimes alimentaires à base de microalgues nuisibles, en conditions expérimentales, sur la survie, le comportement et la reproduction du copépode Calanoïde Acartia clausi collecté dans la lagune Ghar El Melh pendant la saison printanière.L’analyse hydrologique du milieu a mis en évidence une variation saisonnière de la totalité des paramètres avec des valeurs importantes de la température, de la salinité, du pH et de la Chl a en été et des teneurs élevées en nutriments en automne/hiver. L’étude spatio-temporelle du zooplancton a révélé la présence de 23 groupes zooplanctoniques dominés par les copépodes (37,25%) et les ciliés (21,09%). La lagune représente également un lieu de reproduction pour plusieurs espèces compte tenu de l’abondance du méroplancton tels que les larves de lamellibranches (14,9%) et les véligères de gastéropodes (12,5%). La température, la salinité, les caractéristiques hydrodynamiques, la teneur en ammonium et la richesse trophique ont été les facteurs déterminants pour le développement du zooplancton. Les relations d’ordre trophique semblent avoir un effet important sur la distribution des copépodes, ciliés et rotifères. La communauté des copépodes a été composée par 13 espèces dominées par les espèces opportunistes Oithona nana (59,5%), Acartia clausi (21%) et Euterpina acutifrons (8,87%) dont les abondances et la saisonnalité semblent être tributaires, en plus de l’abondance des proies, des caractéristiques hydrologiques de l’eau notamment de la température et la salinité.Les essais portant sur l’impact des microalgues nuisibles sur Acartia clausi ont mis en évidence i) une réduction du taux de survie (55%) et du nombre d’œufs produits (3,9 ± 3,2 œufs femelle-1 j-1) due à Prorocntrum micans malgré l’importance de l’activité alimentaire et du taux d’éclosion des œufs ii) Une altération importante de l’activité alimentaire, de la reproduction et de la survie due à Prorocentrum lima dès le premier jour iii) une létalitè importante de la souche Ostreopsis ovata se caractérisant par la mortalité de tous les individus après 24 heures iv) une altération importante du mouvement (33,6%) observée dès le 8ième jour, accompagnée d’une production réduite d’œufs (2,8 ± 3,9 œufs femelle-1 j-1), un faible taux d’éclosion (27,9 ± 30,6%) et d’une réduction importante de la survie due à Alexandrium catenella. / The aim of this work is to study the biodiversity and seasonal distribution of zooplankton community along with environmental factors in Ghar El Melh lagoon at 5 stations by twice monthly sampling from February 2011 to January 2012. This study also focused on the impact of several diets based on harmful microalgae on the survival, behavior and reproduction of the Calanoïd copepod Acartia clausi collected from Ghar El Melh lagoon during spring under laboratory control.The hydrological caracteristics revealed a seasonal variation of all parameters with high water temperature, salinity, pH and Chlorophyll a in summer and high nutrient concentrations in autumn/winter. The study of spatial and temporal variation of zooplankton revealed the presence of 23 groups mainly dominated by copepods (37.25%) and ciliates (21.09%). High abundance of meroplankton such as bivalve larvae (14.9%) and gastropod veligers (12.5%) showed that the lagoon can be considered as a breeding place for several marines species. Temperature, salinity, hydrodynamic characteristics, ammonium concentration and abundance of prey were the determining factors for the development of zooplankton. Trophic relationships seem to have an important effect on the distribution of copepods, ciliates and rotifers. The copepod community was composed of 13 species chiefly represented by opportunistic species Oithona nana (59.5%), Acartia clausi (21%) and Euterpina acutifrons (8.87%). Abundance and seasonality of this opportunistic community seem to be related to the abundance of prey and hydrological characteristics of water such as temperature and salinity.Bioassay on Acartia clausi using several harmful microalgae species showed (i) reduction of survival rate (55%) and egg production (3.9 ± 3.2 eggs female-1 day-1) due to Prorocntrum micans despite the high feeding rate and egg hatching success (80%) ii) a high decrease of feeding, reproduction and survival rates observed after 1 day of exposure to the toxic Prorocentrum lima iii) a very high lethality of used Ostreopsis ovata strain causing the mortality of all copepods after only 24 hours iv) high movement alteration rate (33.6%) observed after 8 days of exposure to Alexandrium catenella, associated to a reduced egg production rate (2.8 ± 3.9 eggs female-1 day-1), a low hatching success (27.9 ± 30.6%) and a reduced survival rate.

Based on a field study and several mesocosm experiments, I evaluated the use of pigments as chemotaxonomical biomarkers for phytoplankton community composition in the Baltic Sea and I examined effects of inorganic nutrients on the dynamics of carotenoids and thiamine (vitamin B1) at the phytoplankton–copepod level in marine pelagic food webs. My results show that HPLC pigment analysis combined with CHEMTAX data processing was an accurate alternative to microscopic analysis of Baltic Sea phytoplankton. Experimental supply of N, P and Si affected copepod growth and biochemical status via changes in biomass and composition of their phytoplankton diet. Net population growth rates were generally higher when phytoflagellates dominated (low Si:N ratio) and lower when diatoms dominated (high Si:N ratio). Copepod body concentrations of astaxanthin decreased with fertilization. Correlations with reduced under-water irradiance were consistent with the photo-protective function of this antioxidant. Thiamine concentrations in phytoplankton also decreased with fertilization. In copepods, low Si:N ratios resulted in higher thiamine concentrations than high Si:N ratios. Thiamine concentration and degree of phosphorylation were useful as indicators of thiamine shortage both in phytoplankton and copepods. The concentrations of thiamine and astaxanthin in the copepod communities were positively correlated. As copepods constitute a major link between pelagic primary producers and higher trophic levels, fertilization effects may be responsible for astaxanthin and thiamine deficiencies in salmon suffering from the M74 syndrome, which appeared concurrently with large-scale eutrophication in the Baltic Sea. As both thiamine and astaxanthin are deficient in M74-affected salmon, there is a need for physiological and molecular investigations of possible interactions between the two compounds in living cells.