Agüera, A.

Ameziane, N.

Collard, M.

Danis, B.

David, B.

De Ridder, C.

Dehairs, F.

Di Giglio, S.

Dubois, P.

Eleaume, M.

Feral, J.-P.

Fournier, J.

Gallut, C.

Gonthier-Maurin, M.

Jane, P.

Marschal, C.

Michel, L.

Motreuil, S.

Pasotti, F.

Sahade, R.

Saucède, T.

Vanreusel, A.

Open Marine Archive

392 
 
S14: Effects of Ocean Acidification on organisms and communities 
Acid-base physiology of Antarctic and Sub-antarctic sea urchins and 
their resilience to ocean acidification 
Dubois Philippe1, Antonio Agüera1, Nadia Ameziane2, Marie Collard1,3, Bruno Danis1,  Bruno David4, 
Frank Dehairs3, Chantal De Ridder1, Sarah Di Giglio1, Marc Eléaume5, Jean-Pierre Féral6, Jérôme 
Fournier2, Cyril Gallut7, Margot Gonthier-Maurin8, Philip Jane9, Christian Marschal6, Loïc Michel10, 
Sébastien Motreuil11, Francesca Pasotti12, Ricardo Sahade13, Thomas Saucède11 and Ann Vanreusel12 
1 Laboratoire de Biologie marine CP160/15, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 50 av. Roosevelt, B1050 
Bruxelles, Belgium 
E-mail: phdubois@ulb.ac.be  
2 UMR7208-BOREA, Département Milieux et Peuplements Aquatiques, Muséum National d'Histoire 
Naturelle, BP 225, F29182 Concarneau Cedex, France 
3 Analytical, Environmental and Geo-Chemistry, Earth Systems Science Research Group, Vrije 
Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B1050 Brussels, Belgium 
4 Biogéosciences,UMR 6282, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 6 bvd Gabriel, F21000 Dijon, 
France et Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Rue Cuvier 57, F75005 Paris, France 
5 Institute of Systematics, Evolution & Biodiversity, UMR 7205, Muséum National d'Histoire 
Naturelle, Rue Cuvier 57, F75005 Paris, France 
6 Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d’Ecologie marine et continentale-IMBE, UMR AMU/CNRS 
7263/IRD 237/UAPV, Station Marine d’Endoume, F13007 Marseille, France 
7 Institute of Systematics, Evolution & Biodiversity, UMR 7205, Concarneau Biological Marine 
Station, Université Pierre and Marie Curie, Quai de la Croix, F29900 Concarneau, France 
8 Ecole d'Ingénieurs de PURPAN, 75 voie du TOEC, BP57611, F31076 TOULOUSE Cedex 3, France 
9 Aquarium de Paris – Cinéaqua, Avenue Albert de Mun 5, F75016 Paris, France 
10 Laboratory of Oceanology, University of Liège, B6C, Allée du 6 Août 15, Quartier Agora, Sart-
Tilman, B4000 Liège, Belgium 
11 Biogéosciences,UMR 6282, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 6 bvd Gabriel, F21000 Dijon, 
France 
12 Marine Biology Laboratory, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281/S8, B9000, Gent, Belgium 
13 Institute of Animal Diversity and Ecology, CONICET, Fac.Cs. E.F. y Nat. National, University of 
Cordoba, Cordoba, Argentina 
 
Increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration alters the chemistry of the oceans towards 
more acidic conditions. Polar oceans are particularly affected due to their low temperature, low 
carbonate content and mixing patterns, for instance upwellings. Echinodermata were hypothesized 
to be at risk due to their high-magnesium calcite skeleton. However, tolerance to ocean acidification 
(OA) in metazoans is first linked to acid–base regulation capacities of the extracellular fluids. No 
information on this was available for Antarctic echinoderms and inference from temperate and 
tropical studies needed support. We investigated the acid–base status of 9 species of sea urchins (3 
cidaroids, 2 regular euechinoids and 5 irregular brooding euechinoids) collected in the frame of the 
ANTXXIX/3 Polarstern campaign, the vERSO BELSPO project and the REVOLTA and PROTEKER IPEV 
projects. It appears that Antarctic regular euechinoids are equipped with similar acid–base 
regulation systems as tropical and temperate regular euechinoids and are able to compensate their 
extracellular pH (pHe) when facing OA by increasing the extracellular bicarbonate concentration. 
Cidaroids have an acid–base status similar to that of tropical cidaroids, characterized by very low 
pHe. Therefore, Antarctic cidaroids will most probably not be affected by decreasing seawater pH, 
the pH drop linked to OA being negligible in comparison with their naturally low pHe. Irregular 
euechinoids regulate their pHe when facing OA through an unknown mechanism. The pH of sea 
water in the brooding chambers depends on the pH of the surrounding sea water and is further 
reduced in presence of calcified juveniles. This suggests that these juveniles will endure worse 
acidification conditions and might be possibly at risk. Combining these results with the resilience of 
Antarctic euechinoid larvae suggests that most of these organisms might not be the expected 
victims of ocean acidification although the impact on brooded juveniles of irregular euechinoids 
should be further investigated  


Acid-base physiology of Antarctic and Sub-antarctic sea urchins and their resilience to ocean acidification

Acid-base physiology of Antarctic and Sub-antarctic sea urchins and their resilience to ocean acidification

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