Abstract:

We investigated the impact of crude oil and chemical dispersant (Corexit 9500) on the trophic interaction between planktonic prey and the rhizostome medusae Cassiopea spp. Two types of crustacean prey, both evasive (Acartia tonsa) and non-evasive (Artemia salina) were compared in this study. Both prey types were exposed to the water accommodated fraction (WAF) and chemically-enhanced water accommodated fraction (CEWAF) of an ecologically relevant concentration of crude oil (10 µL/L). For CEWAF treatments, Corexit was added at a 20:1 oil to dispersant ratio, as recommended by the manufacturer. Timed feeding trials were conducted and the prey capture rates were determined for each Cassiopea spp. specimen. Additional feeding experiments were conducted exposing both the jellyfish and prey to WAF and CEWAF. This dataset also includes videos of Acartia tonsa and Artemia salina exposed to WAF and CEWAF to measure prey motility changes.