Lipids in Aquatic Ecosystems

395 Pages·2009·2.7 MB·English

by  Irina A. Guschina

Lipids in Aquatic Ecosystems
Michael T. Arts (cid:129) Michael T. Brett
Martin J. Kainz
Editors
Lipids in Aquatic Ecosystems
Editors
Michael T. Arts Martin J. Kainz
Aquatic Ecosystems Management WasserKluster Lunz
Research Division Biologische Station
National Water Research Institute – Dr. Carl Kupelwieser Promenade 5
Environment Canada 3293 Lunz am See, Austria
P.O. Box 5050, 867 Lakeshore Road [email protected]
Burlington, ON, Canada L7R 4A6
[email protected]
Michael T. Brett
Department of Civil & Environmental
Engineering
University of Washington
Box 352700, 301 More Hall, Seattle
WA 98195-2700, USA
[email protected]
ISBN: 978-0-387-88607-7 e-ISBN: 978-0-387-89366-2
DOI: 10.1007/978-0-387-89366-2
Springer Dordrecht Heidelberg London New York
Library of Congress Control Number: 2008942065
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Foreword
The direction of science is often driven by methodological progress, and the topic
of this book is no exception. I remember sitting with a visitor on the terrace of a
hotel overlooking Lake Constance in the early 1970s. We were discussing the gravi-
metric method of measuring total lipids in zooplankton. A few years later, as a visi-
tor in Clyde E. Goulden’s lab, I was greatly impressed by the ability of an
instrument called an Iatroscan to discriminate and quantify specific lipid classes
(e.g., triacylglycerols, polar lipids, wax esters). At that time, food web analysis was
mainly concerned with bulk quantitative aspects. For example, lipids, because of
their high energy content, were considered mainly as an important food source and
storage product.
Nearly a decade ago, when Michael Arts and Bruce Wainman edited the first
volume entitled “Lipids in Freshwater Ecosystems” (Springer), the focus had
already changed. Fatty acid analysis had become more mainstream, because
new, less expensive, instruments had become available for ecological laborato-
ries and because ecology, in general, was diversifying and integrating with other
disciplines. Hence, there was increased emphasis on studies which dealt with the
qualitative aspects of lipid composition. The concept of lipids in ecosystems was
no longer restricted to just providing fuel; lipid composition had, by then,
already been recognized as a factor controlling the flow of matter and the struc-
ture of food webs. In his foreword to the first book, Robert G. Wetzel defined a
rapidly evolving field that he called “biochemical limnology” and identified
lipid research as one of its facets. Judging from the ever increasing numbers of
published papers and congress contributions the field is presently evolving even
more rapidly.
However, progress was not restricted to limnology. In fact, methods of lipid and
fatty acid analysis were probably more advanced in marine ecology, and essential
fatty acids were an important factor in marine aquaculture. Lipid research in aquatic
organisms profited also from the growing connections to human nutrition science
interested in the importance of highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA; fatty acids
with ³20 carbons and ³3 double bonds) originating from fish and shellfish.
This became very evident at the 2002 summer meeting of the American Society of
Limnology and Oceanography in Victoria, British Columbia, when Michael
A. Crawford delivered an unusual, but fascinating plenary lecture entitled
v
vi Foreword
“The e volution of the human brain.” Consequently, this new volume has broadened
its scope from freshwater to “aquatic ecosystems.” It is, thus, a contribution to find-
ing common principles in marine and freshwater systems.
My personal interest in fatty acids has been stimulated again in recent years by
the controversy over food quality factors controlling the growth of zooplankton,
which used to be more a topic in limnology than in marine ecology. Two schools
developed at about the same time, one proposing that zooplankton growth was
limited by the availability of essential fatty acids, the other one developing the
concept of zooplankton growth controlled by inorganic nutrient stoichiometry. In
principle, both groups of resources can be limiting as they must be taken up with
the same food package and cannot be completely synthesized by the consumer
itself. Unfortunately, the empirical data were contradictory, and there was support
for both concepts. As usual, this resulted in a heated debate; however, we are now
on the way to a concept incorporating both groups of resources as limiting factors.
The controversy had a striking effect on aquatic lipid research; it stimulated discus-
sion, created new ideas, and fostered methodological progress. Lipids and fatty
acids are now regular topics of special sessions at aquatic science conferences.
Robert Wetzel’s statements in the earlier foreword are still valid and up-to-date,
but the field has broadened considerably in the past decade. The “classical” studies
on lipids as storage products and carriers of lipophilic contaminants are continuing.
Research on lipids as nutritional factors now concentrates on the role of essential
components, e.g., polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and sterols, in modifying the
growth and reproduction of animals. This includes studies on biosynthesis and
metabolic pathways in food organisms and the characterization of fatty acid profiles
in organisms at the base of food webs and in allochthonous material. Spatial and
temporal variations in lipid composition need to be investigated to reach the goal of
a mechanistic prediction of food web structures under changing environmental
conditions. Finally, specific fatty acids and ratios of fatty acids are being developed
as biomarkers to aid in the identification of key food web connections.
Evolutionary ecology is beginning to explore adaptations of organisms to the
changing availability of essential fatty acids in their food, e.g., the evolution of life
histories, provision of offspring with PUFA, and the timing of diapause. However,
lipid production may also be considered as an adaptation by algae and bacteria
against their consumers. Evidence is accumulating indicating that not all fatty acids
are beneficial to consumers. Some are toxic or are precursors of toxic products, and
the question therefore now arises as to why organisms produce such costly
products.
Finally, lipid and fatty acid research has gained considerable applied importance
as humans are often “top predators” and also depend on essential dietary nutrients.
Public awareness of healthy nutrition is increasing, and this relates to both acquir-
ing necessary food compounds and avoiding toxic contaminants. Lipids play a key
role in these processes.
The past 10 years have seen a rapid increase in our knowledge about the eco-
logical importance of lipids. As with all progressive scientific initiatives this new
knowledge has also generated new questions. It is thus time for a new synthesis.
Foreword vii
This book addresses most of the topics mentioned above; hence it is a timely
book. I am sure it will not only summarize the status quo; it will also stimulate
new research within the important and exciting field of biochemical aquatic ecol-
ogy as well as foster new and fruitful connections with the field of human
nutrition.
Plön, Germany Winfried Lampert
Contents
Introduction .................................................................................................... xv
Michael T. Arts, Michael T. Brett, and Martin J. Kainz
1 Algal Lipids and Effect of the Environment
on their Biochemistry .............................................................................. 1
Irina A. Guschina and John L. Harwood
2 Formation and Transfer of Fatty Acids in Aquatic
Microbial Food Webs: Role of Heterotrophic Protists ......................... 25
Christian Desvilettes and Alexandre Bec
3 Ecological Significance of Sterols in Aquatic Food Webs .................... 43
Dominik Martin-Creuzburg and Eric von Elert
4 Fatty Acids and Oxylipins as Semiochemicals ...................................... 65
Susan B. Watson, Gary Caldwell, and Georg Pohnert
5 Integrating Lipids and Contaminants in
Aquatic Ecology and Ecotoxicology ....................................................... 93
Martin J. Kainz and Aaron T. Fisk
6 Crustacean Zooplankton Fatty Acid Composition ............................... 115
Michael T. Brett, Dörthe C. Müller-Navarra, and Jonas Persson
7 Fatty Acid Ratios in Freshwater Fish, Zooplankton
and Zoobenthos – Are There Specific Optima? .................................... 147
Gunnel Ahlgren, Tobias Vrede, and Willem Goedkoop
8 Preliminary Estimates of the Export of Omega-3
Highly Unsaturated Fatty Acids (EPA + DHA) from
Aquatic to Terrestrial Ecosystems.......................................................... 179
Michail I. Gladyshev, Michael T. Arts, and Nadezhda, N. Sushchik
ix
x Contents
9 Biosynthesis of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Aquatic
Ecosystems: General Pathways and New Directions ......................... 211
Michael V. Bell and Douglas R. Tocher
10 Health and Condition in Fish: The Influence of Lipids
on Membrane Competency and Immune Response ........................... 237
Michael T. Arts and Christopher C. Kohler
11 Lipids in Marine Copepods: Latitudinal Characteristics
and Perspective to Global Warming .................................................... 257
Gerhard Kattner and Wilhelm Hagen
12 Tracing Aquatic Food Webs Using Fatty Acids:
From Qualitative Indicators to Quantitative Determination ............ 281
Sara J. Iverson
13 Essential Fatty Acids in Aquatic Food Webs ...................................... 309
Christopher C. Parrish
14 Human Life: Caught in the Food Web ................................................ 327
William E. M. Lands
Name Index ..................................................................................................... 355
Subject Index .................................................................................................. 367
Contributors
Gunnel Ahlgren
Department of Ecology and Evolution (Limnology), Uppsala University,
P.O. Box 573, 751 23 Uppsala, Sweden
[email protected]
Michael T. Arts
Aquatic Ecosystems Management Research Division, National Water Research
Institute – Environment Canada, P.O. Box 5050, 867 Lakeshore Road,
Burlington, ON, Canada L7R 4A6
[email protected]
Alexandre Bec
Laboratoire de Biologie des Protistes, Université Blaise Pascal,
Clermont-Ferrand II, Campus des Cézeaux, 63177 Aubiere Cedex, France
[email protected]
Michael V. Bell
Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling, Stirling, Stirlingshire FK9 4LA, UK
[email protected]
Michael T. Brett
Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Washington,
Box 352700, 301 More Hall, Seattle, WA 98195-2700, USA
[email protected]
Gary Caldwell
School of Marine Science and Technology, Newcastle University, Ridley
Building, Rm 354, Claremont Road, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
[email protected]
Christian Desvilettes
Laboratoire de Biologie des Protistes, Université Blaise Pascal,
Clermont-Ferrand II, Campus des Cézeaux, 63177 Aubiere Cedex, France
[email protected]
xi