ECOLOGY OF THE BRINE SHRIMP ARTEMIA IN THE YUCATAN,
MEXICO, SALTERNS
L. Torrentera, S.I. Dodson-2004
Journal of Plankton Research, 26(5): 1-8
Abstract:
One
year of field data on the Yucatan, Mexico, North Coast hyper saline pools
and salterns revealed extreme alkalinity, salinity and temperature
conditions, hypoxia and in some instances, total desiccation. The four
locations were similar in water temperature, nitrites, and phosphates, but
differed in salinity, oxygen content, water depth, nitrates, ammonia,
silicates, carbonates, sulphates, and pH. The dominant multicellular
organism in these hyper saline ecosystems is Artemia, the brine shrimp.
Artemia abundance and population dynamics were significantly correlated with
specific environmental conditions, most often water temperature, salinity,
and oxygen concentration. The different schedules of Artemia and cyst
production at each location suggest habitat partitioning among the brine
shrimp populations across the North Coast of the Yucatan Peninsula. Our
results provide an ecological basis for national management of these
endangered hyper saline ecosystems.
(Laboratory of Molecular Systematic, School of Life
Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, PO Box 874 501, AZ 85287, USA,
e-mail: laura.torrentera@asu.edu)