Tropical Zooplankton Enzyme (AARS and ETS) Activities From Kimberley Region and Great Barrier Reef

The activity of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase (AARS), an index of growth rate, and of the electron transport system (ETS), an index of respiration, was measured in three size fractions (73-150 µm, >150 µm and >350 µm) of zooplankton during five cruises to tropical coastal waters of the Kimberley coast (North West Australia) and four cruises to waters of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR, North East Australia). Temperature, salinity and chlorophyll a data was also recorded. Data enables comparison of growth and secondary production of tropical zooplankton from waters of NW and NE Australia based on both AARS and ETS measurements, and also facilitates comparison of zooplankton respiration derived from ETS measurements. These estimates of growth and respiration enable calculation of grazing rates to better understand the fate of primary production in Australian tropical waters and the nature of pelagic food chains in these regions.

本研究针对三类粒径分级（73~150 μm、>150 μm及>350 μm）的浮游动物，检测了其体内氨酰-tRNA合成酶（aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase, AARS，生长速率指示指标）与电子传递系统（electron transport system, ETS，呼吸作用指示指标）的活性。采样工作先后在澳大利亚西北海岸金伯利海域热带近岸水域的5个航次，以及澳大利亚东北海岸大堡礁（Great Barrier Reef, GBR）海域的4个航次中开展。本次研究同步记录了水温、盐度与叶绿素a浓度数据。该数据集可依托氨酰-tRNA合成酶与电子传递系统的检测结果，对比澳大利亚西北与东北海域热带浮游动物的生长及次级生产水平；同时也可用于基于电子传递系统检测结果推导的浮游动物呼吸作用的对比分析。通过上述生长与呼吸作用的估算值，可进一步计算浮游动物的摄食率，从而更深入地解析澳大利亚热带海域初级生产的去向，以及该区域远洋食物链的本质特征。