Parameterisation of a population model for Acartia spp. in the Southern Baltic Sea. Part 2. Egg production

The paper describes the modelling ofeg g production in Acartia spp. under changing environmental conditions in the southern Baltic Sea (Gdańsk Deep). The hypothesis (Sekiguchi et al. 1980) that the food-saturated rate of egg matter production is equivalent to specific growth rate ofco pepods is applied. The average number ofeggs produced per day by one Acartia female is obtained as a function ofg rowth rate, i.e. by multiplying exp gN3 − 1 from the growth rate of the nauplius stage equation by Wfemale/Wegg. The copepod model, reduced to a zerodimensional population model calibrated for Acartia spp. under the environmental conditions typical ofthe southern Baltic Sea, was used to determine the effects of temperature and food concentration on the growth rate ofeac h oft he model stages (see Part 1 – Dzierzbicka-Głowacka et al. 2009 – this issue). In this part, egg production as a function of the above parameters is evaluated. The rate of reproduction during the seasons in the upper layer ofthe Gdańsk Deep is also determined.