55 research outputs found

    Influence of seawater acidification on benthic bivalve communities

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    Respiration of sandy Baltic Sea sediments

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    Changes in oxygen uptake due to advective as opposed to diffusive processes were investigated as a function of permeability. Investigations took place in the laboratory and in a study area in the Baltic Sea. Sandy sediments in this area are less influenced by advection than originally thought, but the oxygen uptake can be increased. In order to be able to differentiate oxygen uptake rates, a formula for a common bivalve species (Mya arenaria) was developed. Based on this, respiration rates for this species can now be calculated in relation to the respective length of the individuals.Änderungen in der Sauerstoffzehrung durch advektive im Gegensatz zu diffusiven Prozessen wurden in dieser Arbeit in Abhängigkeit von Permeabilität erforscht. Untersuchungen wurden im Labor und in der Ostsee durchgeführt. Die Sauerstoffzehrung der sandigen Sedimente lässt sich nur für einen Teil der Sedimente steigern. Um Sauerstoffzehrungsraten unterteilen zu können, wurde im Zuge dieser Arbeit eine Formel für eine häufig vorkommende Muschelart (Mya arenaria) entwickelt. Anhand dieser können nun Respirationsraten für diese Art im Bezug zu der jeweiligen Länge der Individuen berechnet werden

    Naturally acidified habitat selects for ocean acidification–tolerant mussels

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    Ocean acidification severely affects bivalves, especially their larval stages. Consequently, the fate of this ecologically and economically important group depends on the capacity and rate of evolutionary adaptation to altered ocean carbonate chemistry. We document successful settlement of wild mussel larvae (Mytilus edulis) in a periodically CO2-enriched habitat. The larval fitness of the population originating from the CO2-enriched habitat was compared to the response of a population from a nonenriched habitat in a common garden experiment. The high CO2–adapted population showed higher fitness under elevated Pco2 (partial pressure of CO2) than the non-adapted cohort, demonstrating, for the first time, an evolutionary response of a natural mussel population to ocean acidification. To assess the rate of adaptation, we performed a selection experiment over three generations. CO2 tolerance differed substantially between the families within the F1 generation, and survival was drastically decreased in the highest, yet realistic, Pco2 treatment. Selection of CO2-tolerant F1 animals resulted in higher calcification performance of F2 larvae during early shell formation but did not improve overall survival. Our results thus reveal significant short-term selective responses of traits directly affected by ocean acidification and long-term adaptation potential in a key bivalve species. Because immediate response to selection did not directly translate into increased fitness, multigenerational studies need to take into consideration the multivariate nature of selection acting in natural habitats. Combinations of short-term selection with long-term adaptation in populations from CO2-enriched versus nonenriched natural habitats represent promising approaches for estimating adaptive potential of organisms facing global change

    Simulated leakage of high pCO2 water negatively impacts bivalve dominated infaunal communities from the Western Baltic Sea

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    Carbon capture and storage is promoted as a mitigation method counteracting the increase of atmospheric CO2 levels. However, at this stage, environmental consequences of potential CO2 leakage from sub-seabed storage sites are still largely unknown. In a 3-month-long mesocosm experiment, this study assessed the impact of elevated pCO2 levels (1,500 to 24,400 μatm) on Cerastoderma edule dominated benthic communities from the Baltic Sea. Mortality of C. edule was significantly increased in the highest treatment (24,400 μatm) and exceeded 50%. Furthermore, mortality of small size classes (0–1 cm) was significantly increased in treatment levels ≥6,600 μatm. First signs of external shell dissolution became visible at ≥1,500 μatm, holes were observed at >6,600 μatm. C. edule body condition decreased significantly at all treatment levels (1,500–24,400 μatm). Dominant meiofauna taxa remained unaffected in abundance. Densities of calcifying meiofauna taxa (i.e. Gastropoda and Ostracoda) decreased in high CO2 treatments (>6,600 μatm), while the non - calcifying Gastrotricha significantly increased in abundance at 24,400 μatm. In addition, microbial community composition was altered at the highest pCO2 level. We conclude that strong CO2 leakage can alter benthic infauna community composition at multiple trophic levels, likely due to high mortality of the dominant macrofauna species C. edule
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