Life‐history responses of a freshwater rotifer to copper pollution

Abstract

Anthropogenic pollution of aquatic ecosystems is a global problem of increasing concern (Wilhelm, 2009). Aquatic organisms are particularly vulnerable to pollution because they absorb and ingest pollutants directly from the environment (Young et al., 2016).Individuals that are unable to escape pollution may respond quickly via phenotypic plasticity; and populations may respond slowly via genetic change (Lopes et al., 2004). However, because rates of genetic change are often outpaced by rates of anthropogenic pollution (Wilhelm, 2009), the fate of populations may largely depend on the individuals' plastic response. Here, we investigate such a response in