Diapause in Aquatic Invertebrates

Dormancy is a suspension of the vital functions in an organism for sometime very long time to overcome harsh environmental conditions. It is a widespread adaptation in many phyla from bacteria to vertebrates and may exert a great influence at aquatic communities.

Many authors of this new book were participants at the workshop on diapause in aquatic invertebrates (Pallanza, Italy 2003). The book consists of two major parts indicated in its title: Phenomenology of diapause and significance of this adaptation in scientific and practical uses. Cultivation of live food, like rotifers or Artemia is an expanding application of practical use of diapause in modern aquaculture. Diapause provides the advantage of promoting the colonization of new environments by facilitating the passive transport of the resting stages of invasive species. Creation of artificial ecosystems outside the Earth's biosphere with using dormancy becomes an actual possibility with the plans of humans to colonize our nearest planets. Studies on the vertical distribution of resting eggs in sediment cores yield important ecological information.

Properties of diapause and individual peculiarities of this ancient and well-developed adaptive phenomenon are regarded in the evolutionary distant groups like Rotifers, Crustaceans and Insects.

PART I: Strategies and Mechanisms of Diapause in Aquatic Invertebrates, 1. INTRODUCTION TO DIAPAUSE,2. TIMING OF DIAPAUSE IN MONOGONONT ROTIFERS: MECHANISMS AND STRATEGIES 3. Diapause in Crustaceans: Peculiarities of Induction 4. Reactivation of diapausing crustaceans 5. Diapause in aquatic insects, with emphasis on mosquitoes6. A brief perspective on molecular mechanisms of diapause in aquatic invertebrates PART 2: The Role of Diapause in Science and Human Uses 7. EGG BANK FORMATION BY AQUATIC INVERTEBRATES: A BRIDGE ACROSS DISCIPLINARY BOUNDARIES 8. Use of Cladoceran resting eggs to trace climate-driven and anthropogenic changes in aquatic ecosystems 9. RECONSTRUCTING MICRO-EVOLUTIONARY DYNAMICS FROM LAYERED EGG BANKS 10. Does timing of emergence within a season affect the evolution of post-diapause traits? Post-diapause and directly developing phenotypes of Daphnia 11. Diapause and its consequences in the Daphnia galeata ? cucullata ? hyalina species complex 12. ROLE OF DIAPAUSE IN DISPERSAL OF AQUATIC INVERTEBRATES 13. THE ROLE OF WITHIN TROPHIC LEVEL CHEMICAL INTERACTIONS IN DIAPAUSE INDUCTION: BASIC AND APPLIED ASPECT 14. STUDYING THE PHENOMENON OF DORMANCY: Why It Is Important for Space Exploration References Taxonomic index