Introduction. Alternative Methods
103
ing the advantage of 14C to provide stable specific radioactivity, a system of
trophological methods was developed based on the use of 14C, and characterizing the feeding of any given common species of aquatic animals be they ciliates, copepods, chronomids, or clams: on what kind of food do they forage and
what do they prefer? at what concentration is it accessible to them? what is
the size of the absolute and relatIve tood rations when they forage on an
optimal food at an optimal its concentration? how much of the ingested food
is assimilated? (including the balance of the utilization of this ingested food),
what is the food provision of a given animal on changing its ambiental concentration? and, finally, what are the metabolic rates and growth efficiency
coefficients (KI and K 2 )? In other words, the goal was to use the 14C label to
obtain a trophic certificate for the given hydrobiont species mentioned above,
and thus to provide a solid quantitative base of secondary production.
The new method soon became very popular among Russian hydrobiologists studying various common or key species of aquatic animals. The Borok
biological station at the Rybinsk reservoir became at that time a Mecca for
these specialists. Sometimes in my field laboratory, where I was experimenting with 14C, I received as many as ten of them, each with his study object. My
function on these occasions was that of the cook, who had to prepare various
kinds of labeled food and serve them to the appropriate consumers, not confusing Dressena with Euritemora. As a happy ending, many publications
appeared at that time on the feeding of various freshwater animals, from ciliates to fish (Monakov and Sorokin 1959a,b, 1960a,b, 1971b; Poddubnaya and
Sorokin 1961; Malovitskaya and Sorokin 1961; Sorokin and MordukhaiBoltovskaya and Sorokin 1962; Panov and Sorokin 1962, 1965, 1967, 1970;
Mikheev and Sorokin 1996; Mordukhai-Boltovskaya 1965; Tsiknon-Lukanina
and Sorokin 1966; Sorokin and Panov 1966; Sorokin 1967; Isvekova and
Sorokin 1969; Butorina and Sorokin 1970; Sorokin and Techerdyntzeva 1971).
Later, the 14C method was used to screen all main plankters from the Dalnee
lake (including the rotifers) for quantitative parameters and feeding spectra
(Sorokin and Paveljeva 1972), which enabled these authors to make a comprehensive energy balance for the whole planktonic community of the lake
under a seasonal aspect. Soon the advantages of the 14C method were recognized also by marine hydrobiologists from the Sebastopol Institute of Marine
Biology, who carried out nutrition studies on marine copepods and cladocerans (Pavlova and Sorokin 1970; Pavlova et al. 1971; Petipa et al. 1970, 1971,
1974; Sorokin and Wyshkwartzev 1973; Petipa 1978, 1981). Research was also
performed on nutrition in coral reef fauna and corals themselves with the aid
of the same system of 14C-methods (Sorokin 1973a,b, 1978a, 1981b, 1984, 1993).
Experiences in using 14C in these studies was summarized by Sorokin
(1968), Monakov and Sorokin (1972), Monakov (1976), and Petipa (1978). The
specific features of radioisotopic methods applied to the study of nutrition
were discussed and experimentally tested by Conover and Francis (1973) and
Lampert (1977). Some comment on this discussion is given below. Later efforts
on radioisotopic methods in nutrition studies focused on quantifying the
103
ing the advantage of 14C to provide stable specific radioactivity, a system of
trophological methods was developed based on the use of 14C, and characterizing the feeding of any given common species of aquatic animals be they ciliates, copepods, chronomids, or clams: on what kind of food do they forage and
what do they prefer? at what concentration is it accessible to them? what is
the size of the absolute and relatIve tood rations when they forage on an
optimal food at an optimal its concentration? how much of the ingested food
is assimilated? (including the balance of the utilization of this ingested food),
what is the food provision of a given animal on changing its ambiental concentration? and, finally, what are the metabolic rates and growth efficiency
coefficients (KI and K 2 )? In other words, the goal was to use the 14C label to
obtain a trophic certificate for the given hydrobiont species mentioned above,
and thus to provide a solid quantitative base of secondary production.
The new method soon became very popular among Russian hydrobiologists studying various common or key species of aquatic animals. The Borok
biological station at the Rybinsk reservoir became at that time a Mecca for
these specialists. Sometimes in my field laboratory, where I was experimenting with 14C, I received as many as ten of them, each with his study object. My
function on these occasions was that of the cook, who had to prepare various
kinds of labeled food and serve them to the appropriate consumers, not confusing Dressena with Euritemora. As a happy ending, many publications
appeared at that time on the feeding of various freshwater animals, from ciliates to fish (Monakov and Sorokin 1959a,b, 1960a,b, 1971b; Poddubnaya and
Sorokin 1961; Malovitskaya and Sorokin 1961; Sorokin and MordukhaiBoltovskaya and Sorokin 1962; Panov and Sorokin 1962, 1965, 1967, 1970;
Mikheev and Sorokin 1996; Mordukhai-Boltovskaya 1965; Tsiknon-Lukanina
and Sorokin 1966; Sorokin and Panov 1966; Sorokin 1967; Isvekova and
Sorokin 1969; Butorina and Sorokin 1970; Sorokin and Techerdyntzeva 1971).
Later, the 14C method was used to screen all main plankters from the Dalnee
lake (including the rotifers) for quantitative parameters and feeding spectra
(Sorokin and Paveljeva 1972), which enabled these authors to make a comprehensive energy balance for the whole planktonic community of the lake
under a seasonal aspect. Soon the advantages of the 14C method were recognized also by marine hydrobiologists from the Sebastopol Institute of Marine
Biology, who carried out nutrition studies on marine copepods and cladocerans (Pavlova and Sorokin 1970; Pavlova et al. 1971; Petipa et al. 1970, 1971,
1974; Sorokin and Wyshkwartzev 1973; Petipa 1978, 1981). Research was also
performed on nutrition in coral reef fauna and corals themselves with the aid
of the same system of 14C-methods (Sorokin 1973a,b, 1978a, 1981b, 1984, 1993).
Experiences in using 14C in these studies was summarized by Sorokin
(1968), Monakov and Sorokin (1972), Monakov (1976), and Petipa (1978). The
specific features of radioisotopic methods applied to the study of nutrition
were discussed and experimentally tested by Conover and Francis (1973) and
Lampert (1977). Some comment on this discussion is given below. Later efforts
on radioisotopic methods in nutrition studies focused on quantifying the