This work is supported by the Faculty Research Fund of the Swarthmore College [KC] and the Robert Reynolds and Lucinda Lewis &#39;70 Summer Research Fellowship for BJ.

1. Fabrication of the heat block
<ol>
	<li>Wire the 120 V, 100 W strip heater to the rheostat (see Table of Materials).</li>
	<li>Prepare the 20.3 cm x 15.2 cm x 5 cm (8 in x 5 in x 2 in) block of aluminum by drilling 60 holes in a 6 x 10 grid (see Table of Materials). Ensure that the holes are spaced 2 cm from center to center in both directions. Each should be 1.1 cm in diameter and 4.2 cm deep (Figure 1). 
	NOTE: Perform the drilli...

<ol>
	<li>Dowd, W. W., King, F. A., Denny, M. W. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Thermal+variation,+thermal+extremes+and+the+physiological+performance+of+individuals.">Thermal variation, thermal extremes and the physiological performance of individuals.</a> Journal of Experimental Biology. 218 (12), 1956-1967 (2015).</li><li>Garc&#237;a, F. C., Bestion, E., Warfield, R., Yvon-Durocher, G. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Changes+in+temperature+alter+the+relationship+between+biodiversity+and+ecosystem+functioning.">Changes in temperature alter the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.</a> Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 115 (43), 10989-10994 (2018).</li><li>Sinclair, B. J., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Can+we+predict+ectotherm+responses+to+climate+change+using+thermal+performance+curves+and+body+temperatures.">Can we predict ectotherm responses to climate change using thermal performance curves and body temperatures.</a> Ecology Letters. 19 (11), 1372-1385 (2016).</li><li>Lutterschmidt, W. I., Hutchison, V. H. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+critical+thermal+maximum:+history+and+critique.">The critical thermal maximum: history and critique.</a> Canadian Journal of Zoology. 75 (10), 1561-1574 (1997).</li><li>Bennett, J. M., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+evolution+of+critical+thermal+limits+of+life+on+Earth.">The evolution of critical thermal limits of life on Earth.</a> Nature Communications. 12 (1), 1198 (2021).</li><li>Sunday, J. M., Bates, A. E., Dulvy, N. K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Thermal+tolerance+and+the+global+redistribution+of+animals.">Thermal tolerance and the global redistribution of animals.</a> Nature Climate Change. 2 (9), 686-690 (2012).</li><li>Deutsch, C. A., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Impacts+of+climate+warming+on+terrestrial+ectotherms+across+latitude.">Impacts of climate warming on terrestrial ectotherms across latitude.</a> Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 105 (18), 6668-6672 (2008).</li><li>Collin, R., Chan, K. Y. K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+sea+urchin+Lytechinus+variegatus+lives+close+to+the+upper+thermal+limit+for+early+development+in+a+tropical+lagoon.">The sea urchin Lytechinus variegatus lives close to the upper thermal limit for early development in a tropical lagoon.</a> Ecology and Evolution. 6 (16), 5623-5634 (2016).</li><li>Wang, W., Ding, M. -. w., Li, X. -. x., Wang, J., Dong, Y. -. w. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Divergent+thermal+sensitivities+among+different+life+stages+of+the+pulmonate+limpet+Siphonaria+japonica.">Divergent thermal sensitivities among different life stages of the pulmonate limpet Siphonaria japonica.</a> Marine Biology. 164 (6), 1-10 (2017).</li><li>Mak, K. K. -. Y., Chan, K. Y. K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Interactive+effects+of+temperature+and+salinity+on+early+life+stages+of+the+sea+urchin+Heliocidaris+crassispina.">Interactive effects of temperature and salinity on early life stages of the sea urchin Heliocidaris crassispina.</a> Marine Biology. 165 (3), 1-11 (2018).</li><li>Strathmann, R. R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Culturing+larva+of+marine+invertebrates.">Culturing larva of marine invertebrates.</a> Developmental Biology of the Sea Urchin and Other Marine Invertebrates. , 1-25 (2014).</li><li>Stillman, J. H., Somero, G. N. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+comparative+analysis+of+the+upper+thermal+tolerance+limits+of+Eastern+Pacific+porcelain+crabs,+Genus+Petrolisthes:+Influences+of+latitude,+vertical+Zonation,+acclimation,+and+phylogeny.">A comparative analysis of the upper thermal tolerance limits of Eastern Pacific porcelain crabs, Genus Petrolisthes: Influences of latitude, vertical Zonation, acclimation, and phylogeny.</a> Physiological and Biochemical Zoology. 73 (2), 200-208 (2000).</li><li>Sasaki, M. C., Dam, H. G. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Integrating+patterns+of+thermal+tolerance+and+phenotypic+plasticity+with+population+genetics+to+improve+understanding+of+vulnerability+to+warming+in+a+widespread+copepod.">Integrating patterns of thermal tolerance and phenotypic plasticity with population genetics to improve understanding of vulnerability to warming in a widespread copepod.</a> Global Change Biology. 25 (12), 4147-4164 (2019).</li><li>Sasaki, M. C., Dam, H. G. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Genetic+differentiation+underlies+seasonal+variation+in+thermal+tolerance,+body+size,+and+plasticity+in+a+short-lived+copepod.">Genetic differentiation underlies seasonal variation in thermal tolerance, body size, and plasticity in a short-lived copepod.</a> Ecology and Evolution. 10 (21), 12200-12210 (2020).</li><li>Kelly, M. W., Sanford, E., Grosberg, R. K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Limited+potential+for+adaptation+to+climate+change+in+a+broadly+distributed+marine+crustacean.">Limited potential for adaptation to climate change in a broadly distributed marine crustacean.</a> Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 279 (1727), 349-356 (2012).</li><li>Rivera, H. E., Chen, C. -. Y., Gibson, M. C., Tarrant, A. M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Plasticity+in+parental+effects+confers+rapid+larval+thermal+tolerance+in+the+estuarine+anemone+Nematostella+vectensis.">Plasticity in parental effects confers rapid larval thermal tolerance in the estuarine anemone Nematostella vectensis.</a> Journal of Experimental Biology. 224 (5), 236745 (2021).</li><li>Sewell, M. A., Young, C. M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Temperature+limits+to+fertilization+and+early+development+in+the+tropical+sea+urchin+Echinometra+lucunter.">Temperature limits to fertilization and early development in the tropical sea urchin Echinometra lucunter.</a> Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. 236 (2), 291-305 (1999).</li><li>Walther, K., Crickenberger, S. E., Marchant, S., Marko, P. B., Moran, A. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Thermal+tolerance+of+larvae+of+Pollicipes+elegans,+a+marine+species+with+an+antitropical+distribution.">Thermal tolerance of larvae of Pollicipes elegans, a marine species with an antitropical distribution.</a> Marine Biology. 160 (10), 2723-2732 (2013).</li><li>Byrne, M., Gall, M. L., Campbell, H., Lamare, M. D., Holmes, S. P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Staying+in+place+and+moving+in+space:+contrasting+larval+thermal+sensitivity+explains+distributional+changes+of+sympatric+sea+urchin+species+to+habitat+warming.">Staying in place and moving in space: contrasting larval thermal sensitivity explains distributional changes of sympatric sea urchin species to habitat warming.</a> Global Change Biology. 28 (9), 3040-3053 (2022).</li><li>Zippay, M. L., Hofmann, G. E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Physiological+tolerances+across+latitudes:+thermal+sensitivity+of+larval+marine+snails+(Nucella+spp).">Physiological tolerances across latitudes: thermal sensitivity of larval marine snails (Nucella spp).</a> Marine Biology. 157 (4), 707-714 (2010).</li><li>Collin, R., Rebolledo, A. P., Smith, E., Chan, K. Y. K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Thermal+tolerance+of+early+development+predicts+the+realized+thermal+niche+in+marine+ectotherms.">Thermal tolerance of early development predicts the realized thermal niche in marine ectotherms.</a> Functional Ecology. 35 (8), 1679-1692 (2021).</li><li>R Core Team. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=R:+A+language+and+environment+for+statistical+computing.">R: A language and environment for statistical computing.</a> R Foundation for Statistical Computing. , (2021).</li><li>Venables, W. N., Ripley, B. D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=.">.</a> Modern Applied Statistics with S-PLUS. Fourth edn. , (2002).</li><li>Fumo, J. T., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Contextualizing+marine+heatwaves+in+the+southern+California+bight+under+anthropogenic+climate+change.">Contextualizing marine heatwaves in the southern California bight under anthropogenic climate change.</a> Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans. 125 (5), (2020).</li><li>Wheeler, M. W., Park, R. M., Bailer, A. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Comparing+median+lethal+concentration+values+using+confidence+interval+overlap+or+ratio+tests.">Comparing median lethal concentration values using confidence interval overlap or ratio tests.</a> Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry: An International Journal. 25 (5), 1441-1444 (2006).</li><li>Kingsolver, J. G., MacLean, H. J., Goddin, S. B., Augustine, K. E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Plasticity+of+upper+thermal+limits+to+acute+and+chronic+temperature+variation+in+Manduca+sexta+larvae.">Plasticity of upper thermal limits to acute and chronic temperature variation in Manduca sexta larvae.</a> Journal of Experimental Biology. 219 (9), 1290-1294 (2016).</li><li>Kuo, E. S. L., Sanford, E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Geographic+variation+in+the+upper+thermal+limits+of+an+intertidal+snail:+implications+for+climate+envelope+models.">Geographic variation in the upper thermal limits of an intertidal snail: implications for climate envelope models.</a> Marine Ecology Progress Series. 388, 137-146 (2009).</li><li>Hammond, L. M., Hofmann, G. E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Thermal+tolerance+of+Strongylocentrotus+purpuratus+early+life+history+stages:+mortality,+stress-induced+gene+expression+and+biogeographic+patterns.">Thermal tolerance of Strongylocentrotus purpuratus early life history stages: mortality, stress-induced gene expression and biogeographic patterns.</a> Marine biology. 157 (12), 2677-2687 (2010).</li><li>Sasaki, M., Dam, H. G. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Global+patterns+in+copepod+thermal+tolerance.">Global patterns in copepod thermal tolerance.</a> Journal of Plankton Research. 43 (4), 598-609 (2021).</li></ol>

The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.

This protocol provides an accessible and customizable approach to determine the thermal limits of small plankton organisms through acute thermal exposure. The 10-hole design and flexible temperature endpoints, controlled by the water bath at the lower end and the heater at the upper end, enable one to determine LT50 with precision. Using this approach, a difference in the thermal limit that is &lt;1 &#176;C could be detected (Figure 3). This approach provides a rapid determination...

Thermal tolerance is key to organisms&#39; survival and function1,2. As the planet continues to warm due to anthropogenic carbon emissions, increasing attention is being paid to the determination and application of thermal limits3. Various endpoints, such as mortality, failure to develop, and loss of mobility, have been used to determine both upper and lower thermal limits4. These thermal limits are often considered a proxy for an organism&#39;s thermal niche. This information is in turn used to identify species that are more vulnerable to global warming, as well as predict future species distribution and the resulting species interactions3,5,6,7. However, determining thermal limits, especially for small planktonic organisms, can be challenging.
For planktonic organisms, particularly the larval stages of marine invertebrates, the thermal limit can be determined through chronic exposure. Chronic exposure is achieved by rearing larvae at several temperatures over days to weeks and determining the temperature at which larval survivorship and/or developmental rate reduces8,9,10. However, this approach is rather time-consuming and requires large incubators and experience in larval husbandry (see reference11 for a good introduction to culturing marine invertebrate larvae).
Alternatively, acute exposure to thermal stress can be used to determine thermal limits. Often, this determination approach involves placing small vials with larvae in temperature-controlled dry baths12,13,14, leveraging thermal gradient functions in PCR thermal cyclers15,16, or putting glass vials/microcentrifuge tubes along a thermal gradient generated by applied heating and cooling on the ends of large aluminum blocks with holes in which the vials fit snuggly17,18,19. Typical dry baths generate a single temperature; hence, multiple units must be operated simultaneously to assess performance across a range of temperatures. Thermal cyclers generate a gradient but only accommodate a small sample volume (120 &#181;L) and require careful manipulations. Similar to thermal cyclers, large aluminum blocks create linear and stable temperature gradients. Both approaches can be coupled with logistic or probit regression to compute the lethal temperature for 50% percent of the population (LT50)12,20,21. However, the aluminum blocks used were ~100 cm long; this size demands a large lab space and access to specialized computer numerical control milling machines to drill the holes. Together with using two research-grade water baths to maintain the target temperature, the financial cost of assembling the setup is high.
Therefore, this work aims to develop an alternative means to generate a stable, linear temperature gradient with commercially available parts. Such a product must have a small footprint and should be able to be easily used for acute thermal stress exposure experiments for planktonic organisms. This protocol is developed with zooplankton that is &#60;1 mm in size as target organisms, and thus, it was optimized for the use of a 1.5 or 2 mL microcentrifuge tube. Larger study organisms will require containers larger than the 1.5 mL microcentrifuge tubes used and enlarged holes in the aluminum blocks.
In addition to making the experimental apparatus more accessible, this work&#160;aims&#160;to simplify the data processing pipeline. While commercial statistical software provides routines to compute LT50 using logistic or probit regression, the licensing cost is non-trivial. Therefore, an easy-to-use script that relies on the open-source statistical program R22 would make data analysis more accessible.
This protocol shows how a compact heat block can be fabricated with commercially available parts and be applied to exposing zooplankton (larvae of the sand dollar Dendraster excentricus) to acute heat stress to determine their upper thermal limit.

<table border="1" fo:keep-together.within-page="1" fo:keep-with-next.within-page="always">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>0.45 &#181;m membrane filter</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>74300-042</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>&#189;&#8221; Acrylic sheet</td>
			<td>McMaster-Carr</td>
			<td>8560K266</td>
			<td>Used to construct a ridged case with sufficient insulation.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>1 mL syringe</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>76290-420</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>2 Channel 7 Thermocouple Types Datalogger</td>
			<td>Omega Engineering</td>
			<td>HH506A</td>
			<td>Can be replaced with any thermometer that will fit inside a microcentrifuge tube</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Automatic pipette&#160;</td>
			<td>Ranin&#160;</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Bolt- and Clamp-Mount Strip Heater 
			with 430 Stainless Steel Sheath, 120V AC, 1-1/2&#34; Wide, 100W</td>
			<td>McMaster-Carr</td>
			<td>3619K32</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Crystal Sea Bioassay Mix</td>
			<td>Pentair</td>
			<td>CM2B</td>
			<td>Use to make aritifical seawater&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Denraster excentricus</td>
			<td>M-Rep&#160;</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Sand dollars from California&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Dissecting microscope&#160;</td>
			<td>Nikon&#160;</td>
			<td>SMZ645</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>DIYhz Aluminum Water Cooling Block, Liquid Water Cooler Heat Sink System for PC Computer CPU Graphics Radiator Heatsink Endothermic Head Silver(40 mm x 120 mm x 12 mm)</td>
			<td>Amazon</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Connects to water bath and used to cool one end of the block.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Easy-to-Machine MIC6 Cast Aluminum Sheet 2&#34; thick 8&#34; x 8&#34;&#160;</td>
			<td>McMaster-Carr</td>
			<td>86825K953</td>
			<td>Machined to 2&#34; x 6&#34; x 8&#34; with 60 equally spaced holes (11 mm dia., 42 mm depth) with two addition holes drilled in one side for thermostat probes.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Economical Flexible Polyethylene Foam Pipe Insulation</td>
			<td>McMaster-Carr</td>
			<td>4530K121</td>
			<td>Covers the plastic tubing between chiller and block to reduce heat loss. Can be omitted if temperature range is close to room temperature&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>EVERSECU 72w 110-240v Aquarium Water Chiller Warmer/Cooler Temperature Controller for Fish Shrimp Tank Marine Coral Reef Tank Below 20 L/30 L Aquarium Chiller</td>
			<td>Amazon</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Can be used in place of the lab-grade water bath&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Example with larval sand dollar&#160;</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>GENNEL 100 g Silver Silicone Thermal Conductive Compound Grease Paste For GPU CPU IC LED Ovens Cooling</td>
			<td>Amazon</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Improves the thermal conductance between the block and the heating and cooling elements.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Inkbird WiFi Reptile Thermostat Temperature Controller with 2 Probes and 2 Outlets, IPT-2CH Reptiles Heat Mat Thermostat (Max 250 W per Outlet)</td>
			<td>Amazon</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Monitors hot and cold ends. Maintains hot end in range</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Lauda Ecoline Silver Air-Cooled Refrigerated Circulators</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>89202-386</td>
			<td>Can be replaced with an aquarium chiller&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Microcentrifuge Tubes</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>76019-014</td>
			<td>If larger animals are used, scanilation vials (VWR 66022-004) is a good alternative&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Nitex mesh filter</td>
			<td>&#160;Self made</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Used hot glue to attached Nitex mesh to 1/2&#34; PVC tubing&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Pasteur pipette</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>14673-010</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Potassium Chloride (0.35 M)&#160;</td>
			<td>Millpore-Sigma</td>
			<td>P3911-500G</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>R statistical software.&#160;</td>
			<td>The R Project for Statistical Computing</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Syringe needle</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>89219-346</td>
			<td>Depending on size of target organism gague 14 and 16 can be used</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Tygon Tubing&#160;</td>
			<td>McMaster-Carr</td>
			<td>5233K65</td>
			<td>Adjust to match the chiller and block used&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Zoo Med Repti Temp Rheostat</td>
			<td>Chewy.com</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Rated to 150 W and rewired to feed directly into the heating element. Used to control rate of heat output</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

thermal limits determination for zooplankton using a heat block

Thermal limits and breadth have been widely used to predict species distribution. As the global temperature continues to rise, understanding how thermal limit changes with acclimation and how it varies between life stages and populations are vital for determining the vulnerability of species to future warming. Most marine organisms have complex life cycles that include early planktonic stages. While quantifying the thermal limit of these small early developmental stages (tens to hundreds of microns) helps identify developmental bottlenecks, this process can be challenging due to the small size of target organisms, large bench space requirement, and high initial fabrication cost. Here, a setup that is geared toward small volumes (mL to tens of mL) is presented. This setup combines commercially available components to generate a stable and linear thermal gradient. Production specifications of the setup, as well as procedures to introduce and enumerate live versus dead individuals and compute lethal temperature, are also presented.

The goal of this protocol is to determine the upper thermal limit of zooplankton. To do so, a stable and linear thermal gradient is needed. The proposed setup was able to generate a thermal gradient ranging from 14 &#176;C to 40 &#176;C by setting the water bath temperature to 8 &#176;C and the heater to 39 &#176;C (Figure 2A). The temperature gradient can be narrowed and shifted by changing the endpoint values. A thermal gradient with a narrower range (19 &#176;C to 37 &#176;C) was also gen...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Thermal Limits Determination for Zooplankton Using a Heat Block at JoVE.com

Thermal Limits Determination for Zooplankton Using a Heat Block

The present protocol illustrates the use of commercially available components to generate a stable and linear thermal gradient. Such gradient can then be used to determine the upper thermal limit of planktonic organisms, particularly invertebrate larvae.

Thermal limits and breadth have been widely used to predict species distribution. As the global temperature continues to rise, understanding how thermal ...

As global temperatures continue to rise, quantifying thermal limits and the relationship with acclimation and ontogeny are vital for determining the vulnerability of species to future warming. For marine organisms with complex life histories, determining thermal limits can be logistically challenging. This protocol introduces a small footprint, easy to build method to estimate critical temperatures of small planktonic organisms.While the method was developed for small, less than a millimeter sized plankton, it can be adopted for larger marine organisms that would fit into scintillation vials of approximately 50 milliliters volume. Begin by wiring the strip heater to the rheostat. Drill 60 holes in a grid of six by 10 size to prepare the aluminum block of a size of 20.3 by 15.2 by five centimeter, and ensure that the holes are spaced two centimeters from center to center in both directions.Drill two additional holes between the first and second column and the ninth and 10th column, matching the size of the temperature controller probes. To hold the elements in place and insulate the completed heat block, construct a case from clear acrylic sheets, ensuring to apply two layers at the backside of the heating element. In the final assembly, apply thermal paste to maximize heat conductance from the heating element into the block and from the block to the cooling element.Connect the water bath with Tygon tubing and insert the thermostat probe into the holes on the side of the aluminum block. In all the milled holes, place 1.5 milliliter micro-centrifuge tubes, filled with tap water to the brim. Turn on the temperature controller and set the stop heating temperature of probe one to 35 to 37 degrees Celsius, and probe two to 21.5 to 22.5 degrees Celsius.Rotate the rheostat to turn on the heating element and set it to medium. Turn on the water bath and set the chiller temperature to 15 degrees Celsius. Using a thermocouple with a K-type electrode, check the temperature inside each micro-centrifuge tube every 10 minutes afterward.Adjust the values of the end points by changing the settings of the temperature controller and the water bath as needed. Turn on the recirculating water bath and heater and set them to 15 degrees Celsius and 37 degrees Celsius respectively, to generate a temperature gradient from 19.5 degrees Celsius to 37 degrees Celsius. Once the micro-centrifuge tubes are placed in milled holes and the temperature of the heat block is reached, check the temperature inside each micro-centrifuge tube using a thermocouple with a K-type electrode.And note down these temperatures. Fill a 1.5 milliliter micro-centrifuge tube with seawater, filtered through a 0.45 micrometer mesh. Concentrate the study organism's culture with reverse filtering so that the organisms remain at the bottom of the beaker.Rinse the concentrated culture with filtered seawater, and repeat the reverse filtering once more to concentrate the sample. Count the small planktonic organisms under a dissecting microscope and transfer a known number of organisms into half-filled micro-centrifuge tubes using a glass pasteur pipette. Now add filtered sea water until the final volume in these tubes reaches one milliliter.Now place these tubes in pairs into the heating block, starting from the cold end to allow the organisms to gradually warm up to the desired experimental temperature. Wait for 10 minutes and move the pairs of micro-centrifuge tubes to the adjacent drilled holes with warmer temperatures. Place additional pairs of micro-centrifuge tubes in each row at the cold end and continue to shift them towards the warmer end in pairs.Once the entire block is filled, incubate it for two hours at the designated temperature. At the end of the incubation period, measure the temperature in each tube and note it down. Then transfer all tubes to the pre-labeled holders and incubate them at a predetermined temperature for one hour to allow recovery.For enumerating the alive organism portion, transfer the contents of an individual micro-centrifuge tube in a 35 millimeter petri dish using a glass pipette. Under a dissecting microscope, count the live and dead organisms and note down the numbers. The observed number of organisms should match the originally taken organism.If it does not, check the side of the micro-centrifuge tubes and petri dish, Generate a data table in CSV format with the headers grouping variable of interest, the temperature of the tube in degrees Celsius, number of individuals alive, and number of individuals dead. To fit the data with a logistic regression, use a generalized linear model with a binomial distribution. To run the model, type source, and use the R file, modelloop.r.Compute the predictor values at which 50%of the individuals survived, to determine the median upper thermal limit. Using this protocol, the survivorship of larval sand dollars was measured, which was across a temperature range of 19 to 37 degrees Celsius, at two, four and six days post-fertilization. As larval sand dollars developed, the upper thermal limit increased from 28.6 degrees Celsius at two days post-fertilization, to 28.8 degrees Celsius at four days post-fertilization, and approximately 29 degrees Celsius at six days post-fertilization.Incubation and recovery times are species specific. It is important to conduct a preliminary test to ensure that timing selected yields a reliable live versus dead estimation.

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Research

JoVE Journal

Biology

1.2K visualizações.  Swarthmore College. À medida que as temperaturas globais continuam a subir, quantificar os limites térmicos e a relação com a aclimatação e a ontogenia são vitais para determinar a vulnerabilidade das espécies ao aquecimento futuro. Para organismos marinhos com histórias de vida complexas, determinar limites térmicos pode ser logisticamente desafiador. Este protocolo introduz um método de pegada pequena e fácil de construir para estimar temperaturas críticas de pequenos organismos planctônicos....