G Setosus

Responses to high and low temperatures by the side swimmer Gammarus setosus Mobility plays a significant role in an organism’s capability to survive, especially for the side swimmer Gammarus setosus. The G. setosus is geographically distributed along the circumpolar regions of the northwestern Atlantic, but it is an intertidal species that can be found under rocks hiding from the sunlight or in the outflow of small streams. At their habitats, their proximity to water is minimized, and they are easily able to circulate water with their legs to respire and filter feed. This elucidates the importance in the mobility of G. setosus, as it relies on its leg movement in order to survive at their locations. However, temperature in the intertidal zones

The vast range in temperature at the intertidal zone may affect the mobility of G. setosus, of which will jeopardize their ability to thrive at their habitats; my study will deepen my understanding on the survivability of G. setosus and how temperature influences its mobility. My study similarly corresponds with the study by Rastrick and Whitely (2013), who conducted an experiment in order to find out whether temperature affects the protein synthesis rate of Gammarus spp.; they found that G. setosus had a higher protein synthesis level at colder thermal gradients than at hotter thermal gradients. This emphasizes how G. setosus are not able to thrive in conditions of higher temperature, as they are not able to facilitate the reactions required in life processes. The results of the study also suggests that at colder temperatures, G. setosus will have less mobility at lower temperatures due to the process of protein synthesis requiring ATP; most of the ATP will be consumed for protein synthesis instead of mobility. Connecting this to my study, it is determined that there is an optimal temperature, between rather cold or hot temperatures, for the G. setosus to carry out the

setosus. The objective of my study is to determine whether or not varied temperatures will affect the G. setosus’ movement, which is an important factor in many situations for the survival of Gammarus Setosus; whether it’s fleeing from a predator, gathering food, respiration, or simply getting from one place to another, mobility affects its efficiency and survival. Without its agility and swiftness, the Gammarus setosus will definitely struggle in its environment. I predict that the G. setosus will have better mobility at room temperature due to the fact that previous studies have shown that G. setosus are unable to thrive at fairly low or hot temperatures, and the optimal temperature for embryonic development is 17oC. I predict that the optimal temperature for embryonic development will be close to the optimal temperature of movement, as the mobility of the G. setosus influences its chances of