IMR Press / FBL / Volume 16 / Issue 1 / DOI: 10.2741/3680

Frontiers in Bioscience-Landmark (FBL) is published by IMR Press from Volume 26 Issue 5 (2021). Previous articles were published by another publisher on a subscription basis, and they are hosted by IMR Press on imrpress.com as a courtesy and upon agreement with Frontiers in Bioscience.

Article
Activity rhythms in the deep-sea: a chronobiological approach
Show Less
1 Instituto de Ciencias del Mar-CSIC, Paseo Maritimo de la Barceloneta, 37-49. 08003 Barcelona, Spain. jaguzzi@cmima.csic.es
2 AgritechLab - Agricultural Engineering Research Unit of the Agriculture Research Council (CRA-ING), Via della Pascolare, 16. 00016 Monterotondo (Roma), Italy
3 Operational Oceanography and Sustainability Unit, Centre d'Estudis Avancats de Blanes (CEABCSIC). Carrer Acces Cala St. Francesc 14. 17300 Blanes, Spain
Front. Biosci. (Landmark Ed) 2011, 16(1), 131–150; https://doi.org/10.2741/3680
Published: 1 January 2011
Abstract

Ocean waters deeper than 200 m cover 70% of the Earth's surface. Light intensity gets progressively weaker with increasing depth and internal tides or inertial currents may be the only remaining zeitgebers regulating biorhythms in deep-sea decapods. Benthopelagic coupling, exemplified by vertically moving shrimps within the water column, may also act as a source of indirect synchronisation to the day-night cycle for species living in permanently dark areas. At the same time, seasonal rhythms in growth and reproduction may be an exogenous response to spring-summer changes in upper layer productivity (via phytoplankton) or, alternatively, may be provoked by the synchronisation mediated by an endogenous controlling mechanism (via melatonin). In our review, we will focus on the behavioural rhythms of crustacean decapods inhabiting depths where the sun light is absent. Potential scenarios for future research on deep-sea decapod behaviour are suggested by new in situ observation technologies. Permanent video observatories are, to date, one of the most important tools for marine chronobiology in terms of species recognition and animals' movement tracking.

Share
Back to top