Major
Biology
Submission Type
Poster
Area of Study or Work
Biology
Faculty Advisor
William Jaeckle
Expected Graduation Date
2025
Location
CNS Atrium
Start Date
4-12-2025 8:30 AM
End Date
4-12-2025 9:30 AM
Abstract
Rotifers are small (≤ 1 mm) aquatic animals that live in freshwater and marine environments where they act as both predator and prey and serve as important members of food webs. Rotifers consume different forms of particulate foods and, depending on the species, may ingest bacteria, protists, phytoplankton, and other zooplankton. Recent increases in global temperature coupled with fertilizer runoff from agricultural and municipal lands have resulted in increases in the distribution and abundance of cyanobacteria in freshwater environments; under certain conditions cyanobacteria populations can experience explosions (blooms) where cell concentrations can exceed 105 / mL. We evaluated the ability of the rotifer Plationus patulus to consume cyanobacteria as food. Rotifers were incubated with the cyanobacterium, Vulcanococcus sp. (105 and 106 / mL) for 20 minutes and then preserved. Ingested cyanobacteria were viewed using fluorescence microscopy and counted. Clearance rate (volume of water cleared of particles / hour) was calculated as the ingestion rate (cells ingested / hour) divided by the concentration of cyanobacteria (# / mL). In all experiments (n=4) P. patulus ingested cyanobacteria with average clearance rates ranging from 0.070 to 0.68 μL / hour. Variation in clearance rates among experiments was independent of cyanobacterial abundance and rotifer size (ANOVA, p > 0.05) for all comparisons. Our findings suggest that cyanobacteria represent a potential food source for Plationus patulus. With predicted future increases in cyanobacterial abundance species, like P. patulus, that can exploit this food resource may have a competitive advantage over those that cannot. The impact of cyanobacteria on rotifer survivorship and reproduction will be the subject of future studies.
Ingestion of Cyanobacteria (Vulcanococcus sp.) by the Rotifer Plationus patulus
CNS Atrium
Rotifers are small (≤ 1 mm) aquatic animals that live in freshwater and marine environments where they act as both predator and prey and serve as important members of food webs. Rotifers consume different forms of particulate foods and, depending on the species, may ingest bacteria, protists, phytoplankton, and other zooplankton. Recent increases in global temperature coupled with fertilizer runoff from agricultural and municipal lands have resulted in increases in the distribution and abundance of cyanobacteria in freshwater environments; under certain conditions cyanobacteria populations can experience explosions (blooms) where cell concentrations can exceed 105 / mL. We evaluated the ability of the rotifer Plationus patulus to consume cyanobacteria as food. Rotifers were incubated with the cyanobacterium, Vulcanococcus sp. (105 and 106 / mL) for 20 minutes and then preserved. Ingested cyanobacteria were viewed using fluorescence microscopy and counted. Clearance rate (volume of water cleared of particles / hour) was calculated as the ingestion rate (cells ingested / hour) divided by the concentration of cyanobacteria (# / mL). In all experiments (n=4) P. patulus ingested cyanobacteria with average clearance rates ranging from 0.070 to 0.68 μL / hour. Variation in clearance rates among experiments was independent of cyanobacterial abundance and rotifer size (ANOVA, p > 0.05) for all comparisons. Our findings suggest that cyanobacteria represent a potential food source for Plationus patulus. With predicted future increases in cyanobacterial abundance species, like P. patulus, that can exploit this food resource may have a competitive advantage over those that cannot. The impact of cyanobacteria on rotifer survivorship and reproduction will be the subject of future studies.