The Effect of Temperature on Daphnia Magna Heart Rate, Fecundity and Population

Overview

Because of global climate change that is occurring, this study was conducted to see how temperature affects an aquatic organism, Daphnia magna. It was predicted that temperature would have an effect on the heart rate, fecundity and mortality of D. magna because an organism’s physiology and reproduction depend on its environment. There were six petri dishes, each with ten D. magna in a control temperature of 22°C. After one week, heart rate, fecundity, and population were recorded on sixty D. magna. Each week the temperature was increased in one incubator (24°, 26°, 28°, and 30°C) and the same data were taken. In another incubator, the temperature was decreased weekly (20°, 18°, 16°, and 14°C). It was found that the cold temperatures caused a statistically significant increase in fecundity along with a statistically significant decrease in heart rate and population compared to the control (P<0.05). The D. magna in the warmer temperatures showed a significant increase in fecundity and heart rate and a decrease in population. These results support the hypothesis that temperature would affect the D. magna and also show that climate change can affect an aquatic organism.

Competition history

• AJAS 2018 Category not listed

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