Behavioural responses of estuarine mysids to hypoxia and disruption by cadmium

Neomysis integer (Peracarida: Mysidacea) occupies the upper, low-salinity regions of estuaries in Europe, where it can experience periods of reduced oxygen concentration associated with the maximum turbidity zone. The present study reports the distribution of N. integer in response to gradients of dissolved oxygen in combination with environmentally realistic cadmium concentrations (0.1, 0.5 and 1.0 μg Cd2+ l−1). Control and 0.1 μg Cd2+ l−1 mysids were distributed evenly along a flume containing an oxygen gradient, and demonstrated no avoidance to hypoxia (down to 30% air saturation). In contrast, mysids exposed to 1.0 μg Cd2+ l−1 migrated away from areas of low dissolved oxygen and, after 90 min, no mysids were found in regions of <75% air saturation. These results indicate that cadmium poses an increased risk to estuarine organisms inhabiting upper estuarine areas subjected to reduced dissolved oxygen concentrations.