Juvenile king scallop, Pecten maximus, is potentially tolerant to low levels of ocean acidification when food is unrestricted.

The decline in ocean water pH and changes in carbonate saturation states through anthropogenically mediated increases in atmospheric CO2 levels may pose a hazard to marine organisms. This may be particularly acute for those species reliant on calcareous structures like shells and exoskeletons. This is of particular concern in the case of valuable commercially exploited species such as the king scallop, Pecten maximus. In this study we investigated the effects on oxygen consumption, clearance rates and cellular turnover in juvenile P. maximus following 3 months laboratory exposure to four pCO2 treatments (290, 380, 750 and 1140 µatm). None of the exposure levels were found to have significant effect on the clearance rates, respiration rates, condition index or cellular turnover (RNA: DNA) of individuals. While it is clear that some life stages of marine bivalves appear susceptible to future levels of ocean acidification, particularly under food limiting conditions, the results from this study suggest that where food is in abundance, bivalves like juvenile P. maximus may display a tolerance to limited changes in seawater chemistry

In situ Measurements of pH, Ca2+, and DIC Dynamics within the Extrapallial Fluid of the Ocean Quahog Arctica islandica

This study investigated to what extent the extrapallial fluid (EPF) of the marine bivalve Arctica islandica (Linneaus, 1767) is involved in shell formation. With in situ pH microscopy, pH gradients were identified between inner shell surface and outer mantle epithelium (OME). pH at the OMEvaried rapidly between neutral and values above 9, suggesting active H+ pumping. Microsensor measurements showed also remarkable short-term dynamics in pH and Ca2+ concentrations, again suggesting active ion pumping. Further focus was on pH, Ca2+, and dissolved inorganic carbon dynamics within the EPF to determine whether calcium carbonate precipitation is possible within the EPF. The data show that the bulk of the inner EPF rarely reaches calcium carbonate saturation and, thus, cannot be the site of shell formation. At the OME surface, however, pH levels of up to 9.5 were observed, corresponding to a 30-fold carbonate supersaturation. Thus, ion pumping by the OME can drive calcification when the OME is just a few mm distant from the inner shell surface, as it is the case in the outer EPF

CO2-Wirkung auf Meerestiere

Der menschengemachte CO 2-Anstieg und die dadurch verursachte Ozeanversauerung wirken auf alle Meeresorganismen. Bei Tieren kann die Sensitivität gegenüber erhöhten CO 2-Werten sehr unterschiedlich ausfallen und begründet sich vermutlich in der Fähigkeit zur extrazellulären pH-Regulation. Die beobachteten Reaktionen gegenüber Ozeanversauerung reichen von Verhaltensänderungen bei Fischen und verlängerter Entwicklungsdauer bei Krebsen bis hin zur Wachstumsabnahme bei Muscheln und reduzierter Kalkbildung bei Korallen

Near-future ocean warming and acidification alter foraging behaviour, locomotion, and metabolic rate in a keystone marine mollusc

Environmentally-induced changes in fitness are mediated by direct effects on physiology and behaviour, which are tightly linked. We investigated how predicted ocean warming (OW) and acidification (OA) affect key ecological behaviours (locomotion speed and foraging success) and metabolic rate of a keystone marine mollusc, the sea hare Stylocheilus striatus, a specialist grazer of the toxic cyanobacterium Lyngbya majuscula. We acclimated sea hares to OW and/or OA across three developmental stages (metamorphic, juvenile, and adult) or as adults only, and compare these to sea hares maintained under current-day conditions. Generally, locomotion speed and time to locate food were reduced ~1.5- to 2-fold when the stressors (OW or OA) were experienced in isolation, but reduced ~3-fold when combined. Decision-making was also severely altered, with correct foraging choice nearly 40% lower under combined stressors. Metabolic rate appeared to acclimate to the stressors in isolation, but was significantly elevated under combined stressors. Overall, sea hares that developed under OW and/or OA exhibited a less severe impact, indicating beneficial phenotypic plasticity. Reduced foraging success coupled with increased metabolic demands may impact fitness in this species and highlight potentially large ecological consequences under unabated OW and OA, namely in regulating toxic cyanobacteria blooms on coral reefs