A Microflow Respirometer for Measuring the Oxygen Consumption of Small Aquatic Organisms

A microrespiration device is decribed which uses a Clark electrode to measure the oxygen consumption or production of small and microscopic aquatic organisms in an open flow system. The construction and working principles of the device, which can measure oxygen consumptions as low as 0.5 nl · h⁻¹, are described. The design of the apparatus permits parallel measurements under identical conditions with a single electrode. The device can be matched to various sizes of animal and oxygen consumption rates by means of specimen chambers of different volumes (6 μl, 35 μl, 140 μl) and a variable water flow rate. The microflow respiration device has been used successfully to measure the respiration of zooplankton and meiobenthos organisms as well as protozoans and has also been used successfully on board a research vessel.