Deficiency syndromes in baltic sea top predators and the importance of zooplankton as producers of vitamins and pigments

S. HYLANDER; P. SYLVANDER; R. J. GONÇALVES; P. SNOEIJS LEIJONMALM; KIØRBOE, THOMAS

Honolulu

Encuentro; ASLO Ocean Sciences Meeting; 2014

ASLO

The salmon population in the Baltic Sea has for several decades been suffering from low levels of pigments and vitamins causing a deficiency syndrome called M74. Recently, it has also been suggested that a lethal paralytic syndrome observed among sea birds is caused by low levels of vitamins (thiamine). The question remains how these deficiencies arise and one of the hypotheses is that they are caused by alterations in the pelagic food web. We therefore assessed the transfer of vitamins and pigments from phytoplankton to key zooplankton species in field and laboratory studies. The results showed that changing oxidative stress levels altered the total concentrations and also the blend of vitamins and pigments in zooplankton. Furthermore, species composition was important for the overall concentrations since some species always had high levels compared to other zooplankton species. Differences in vitamin and pigment concentrations comparing the semi-enclosed brackish Baltic Sea and more saline waters are discussed in relation to deficiencies in top predators.