The aim of this study was to evaluate expression of the stress-related genes heat shock proteins 90 and 70 (Hsp90 and Hsp70) and ferritin in Acartia tonsa in order to explore whether epibiont infestation leads to detectable changes in expression of stress-related genes under laboratory conditions.
The overall methodology was first tested by examining a more straightforward parameter, namely the effect of rapid temperature changes heat shocks on copepod stress gene expression and the dependence of heat shock on salinity.