Increased Zooplankton Behavioral Stress in Response to Short-Term Exposure to Hydrocarbon Contamination

The swimming behavior of the calanoid copepod Centropages hamatus is used as a very sensitive real-time screening tool to assess hydrocarbon contamination in marine waters. A behavioral stress index based on the complexity of swimming sequences is suggested as a potential tool to critically assess behavioral responses to natural and anthropogenic forcing in the marine environment.