Accuracy and precision of aquatic respirometers with emphasis on monophase oxystats

In this paper, the performance of flow-through systems with constant flow rate, alternating open-closed systems, and monophase oxystats for determination of aquatic respiration rates are compared based on computer simulations at steady-state and non steady-state conditions. In most situations, monophase oxystats offer several advantages compared to the other, more frequently used respiratory systems. Monophase oxystats always operates at steady-state dissolved oxygen concentrations and therefore, this principle is less sensitive to noise on oxygen measurements since changes in dissolved oxygen concentration do not need to be measured in order to obtain accurate respiration rates. Furthermore, in monophase oxystats, experiments can be carried out under more precisely defined conditions and experimental animals are allowed better options to adapt to the experimental conditions compared to other respiratory systems. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.