International audience | Studying long-term trends of contaminants in Arctic biota is essential to better understand impacts of anthropogenic activities and climate change on the exposure of sensitive species and marine ecosystems. We concurrently measured temporal changes (2006e2014) in mercury (Hg) contamination of little auks (Alle alle; the most abundant Arctic seabird) and in their major zooplankton prey species (Calanoid copepods, Themisto libellula, Gammarus spp.). We found an increasing contamination of the food-chain in East Greenland during summer over the last decade. More specifically, bird contamination (determined by body feather analyses) has increased at a rate of 3.4% per year. Conversely, bird exposure to Hg during winter in the northwest Atlantic (determined by head feather analyses) decreased over the study period (at a rate of 1.5% per year), although winter concentrations remained consistently higher than during summer. By combining mercury levels measured in birds and zooplankton to isotopic analyses, our results demonstrate that inter-annual variations of Hg levels in little auks reflect changes in food-chain contamination, rather than a reorganization of the food web and a modification of seabird trophic ecology. They therefore underline the value of little auks, and Arctic seabirds in general, as bio-indicators of long-term changes in environmental contamination.

International audience | Microplastics have been reported everywhere around the globe. With very limited human activities, the Arctic is distant from major sources of microplastics. However, microplastic ingestions have been found in several Arctic marine predators, confirming their presence in this region. Nonetheless, existing information for this area remains scarce, thus there is an urgent need to quantify the contamination of Arctic marine waters. In this context, we studied microplastic abundance and composition within the zooplankton community off East Greenland. For the same area, we concurrently evaluated microplastic contamination of little auks (Alle alle), an Arctic seabird feeding on zooplankton while diving between 0 and 50 m. The study took place off East Greenland in July 2005 and 2014, under strongly contrasted sea-ice conditions. Among all samples, 97.2% of the debris found were filaments. Despite the remoteness of our study area, microplastic abundances were comparable to those of other oceans, with 0.99 ± 0.62 m−3 in the presence of sea-ice (2005), and 2.38 ± 1.11 m−3 in the nearby absence of sea-ice (2014). Microplastic rise between 2005 and 2014 might be linked to an increase in plastic production worldwide or to lower sea-ice extents in 2014, as sea-ice can represent a sink for microplastic particles, which are subsequently released to the water column upon melting. Crucially, all birds had eaten plastic filaments, and they collected high levels of microplastics compared to background levels with 9.99 and 8.99 pieces per chick meal in 2005 and 2014, respectively. Importantly, we also demonstrated that little auks took more often light colored microplastics, rather than darker ones, strongly suggesting an active contamination with birds mistaking microplastics for their natural prey. Overall, our study stresses the great vulnerability of Arctic marine species to microplastic pollution in a warming Arctic, where sea-ice melting is expected to release vast volumes of trapped debris.

International audience | Climate change and human activities induce an increased frequency and intensity of cyanobacterial blooms which could release toxins to aquatic ecosystems. Zooplankton communities belong to the first affected organisms, but in tropical freshwater ecosystems, this issue has yet been poorly investigated. We tested two questions (i) if the tropical Daphnia lumholtzi is capable to develop tolerance to an ecologically relevant concentration of purified microcystin-LR and microcystins from cyanobacterial extract transferable to F1 and F2 generations? And (ii) would F1 and F2 generations recover if reared in toxin-free medium? To answer these questions, we conducted two full factorial mutigenerational experiments, in which D. lumholtzi was exposed to MC-LR and cyanobacterial extract at the concentration of 1 μg L microcystin continuously for three generations. After each generation, each treatment was spit into two one reared in the control (toxin free) while the other continued in the respective exposure. Fitness-related traits including survival, maturity age, body length, and fecundity of each D. lumholtzi generation were quantified. Though there were only some weak negative effects of the toxins on the first generation (F0), we found strong direct, accumulated and carried-over impacts of the toxins on life history traits of D. lumholtzi on the F1 and F2, including reductions of survival, and reproduction. The maturity age and body length showed some inconsistent patterns between generations and need further investigations. The survival, maturity age (for extract), and body length (for MC-LR) were only recovered when offspring from toxin exposed mothers were raised in clean medium for two generations. Chronic exposure to long lasting blooms, even at low density, evidently reduces survival of D. lumholtzi in tropical lakes and reservoirs with ecological consequences.

The investigations of dynamics and composition of plankton, bottom fauna and fish community have been done at three localities (1-inflow, 2-the middle, 3-dam) at the Barje water reservoir (Serbia, Yugoslavia) during 1997. During winter period diatomea Asterionella formosa was dominant at all the localities. At the same time among zooplankton species Rotatoria group was dominant, with the emphasis of Polyalthra dolicoptera at the locality 2, while Keratella cochlearis was dominant at the localities 1 and 3. The present species are oligo- and betamezosaprobionts. Among the investigated bottom fauna species Oligochaeta and Chironomidae were present. The number of oligochaeta was between 1665-7878 ind./square m. By qualitative analyses the domination of Tubificidae family was present. It is known that the presence of this group of organisms and it's high number indicate the organic pollution of ecosystem. 30 individuals of the bighead, (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis) with the average weight of 5.6 kg was captured by net.

During the 1996-1997 period, dynamics and structure of zooplankton and benthos in sugar mill canal in Crvenka (Serbia, Yugoslavia) were studied. Two representative sampling sites were chosen, while the third one served as a control site, providing it has no impact on cage culture. The canal section where the cages were established, had previously been drainage and dredged. Immediately after the refilling, the zooplankton qualitative structure was scarce, with dominating Rotatoria. Two months later, the situation improved and Cladocera and Copepoda emerged. Those two groups of organisms have the major role in enhancing the commercial feed consumption Soon after the refilling, the benthos was reestablished. Sample analysis shows the presence of Oligochaeta and Chironomidae. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of benthos points out no significant difference between the canal sections upstream and downstream the cage culture.

In the period of 1993-1996 water quality of the Bajski canal (Serbia, Yugoslavia) was followed using certain chemical and biological parameters. Oxygen control ranged from its deficiency to its supersaturation recorded in spring and early summer which moved down in summer and early autumn. A smaller amount of suspended particles points to a sedimentation process provoked also in the canal bed, clearing the way for the development of macrophytes. A diverse zooplankton showed typical seasonal variations. A total of 73 species was recorded including 13 Protozoa (17.8%), 44 Rotatoria (60.3%), 10 Cladocera (13.7%), and 6 Copepoda (8.2%). In summary, the process of water quality deterioration is less evident in this section of the DTD (Danube-Tisza-Danube) hydrosystem (Serbia, Yugoslavia).

In the scope of the Program of surface water quality examinations in the Republic of Srpska (Bosnia and Herzegovina), hydrometric measurements and water quality examinations had been realized, where zooplankton and microzooperiphyton researches have been performed. Sampling were performed in the period from 6th to 20th May 2000, at 13 water courses with taken in total 21 samples. In qualitative structure of examined fauna, Rotatoria, Cladocera and Copepoda groups were treated, with ascertained in total 109 taxa from 41 genus. In qualitative structure periphyton taxa are predominant. On the basis of bioindicatory species structure it is noticed that dominant species are oligasaprobic and oligobetamesosaprobic character.

Reproduction and planktonic phase of life of edible shellfishes, Mytilus galloprovincialis Lamk. and Ostrea edulis L. were the subject of the investigations. Biological and ecological characteristics of mentioned species have been studied in Boka Kotorska Bay (Adriatic Sea), Montenegro (Yugoslavia), having in mind data from the Adriatic Sea and Mediterranean. Beside, some localities from Boka Kotorska Bay, conveniet for their rearing, were described , too. A period of their appearance in plankton was considered before all.

Monthly sampling in the Grosnica water reservoir near Kragujevac, Serbia (Yugoslavia), was carried out in the period October 1996 - September 1998. Comparison of the results with those obtained in 1950-1952 revealed changes in the qualitative and the quantitative composition of zooplankton. The presence of a considerably greater number of species was recorded, including some that were registered for the first time in this reservoir and which represent a very significant component in the dynamics of its zooplankton. A multi-fold increase of zooplankton production was also observed. The number of recorded species fluctuated from 26 in the winter to 59 in the summer. Average total abundance of zooplankton ranged from 100.7 ind./l (late spring to 2508.6 ind./l (summer). The results indicate an intensive process of eutrophication in the Grosnica water reservoir, the oldest artificial lake in the this part of Yugoslavia.