Size-fractionated chitin contribution to seston, with linkages to the copepod acartia

Abstract

The main purpose of the present work was to determine chitin from experimental size-fractioned incubations of the copepod Acartia tonsa, considered one of the primary sources of chitin in the Bahía Blanca Estuary. Sampling was performed during the austral warm season at one station in 2014 and 2015. Field-collected females (200 individuals) and males (100 individuals) were incubated in 8 L containers in the laboratory simulating in situ environmental conditions of temperature and salinity for 72 hours. Chitin content was measured in different size fractions (20-60, 60-135 and ≥135 μm). Particulate organic matter and dry weight were also determined in the different size fractions. Highly agglutinated debris, pellets, and natural food (diatoms and tintinnids) were observed in the 20-60 μm size fraction, with a maximum of 0.68±0.21mg L-1 chitin, and the highest contribution of chitin to POC (34.62±18.50 %). Eggs, nauplii and natural food (diatoms and tintinnids) were observed in the 60-135 μm size fraction, with a maximum of 0.20±0.12 mg L-1 chitin and a contribution to POC of 9.80±5.00 %. Acartia adults and their exuviae were observed in the ≥135 μm size fraction, with a maximum concentration of chitin of 0.67±0.40, and a maximum contribution of chitin to POC TS of 30.47±27.23 %. Differences were detected between the different fractions in chitin, POC and DW, indicating that the 20-60 and ≥135 µm size fractions were both an important contribution of chitin in the experiment. Our results suggest that pellets, carcasses and exuviae along with natural food and organic aggregates were the main source of chitin in this system.