Functional impacts of ocean acidification in an ecologically critical foundation species
Functional impacts of ocean acidification in an ecologically critical foundation species
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DOI：
10.1242/jeb.055939
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发表时间：
2011-08-01
影响因子：
2.8
通讯作者：
Hettinger, Annaliese
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Gaylord, Brian;Hill, Tessa M.;Hettinger, Annaliese
人为产生的二氧化碳正在降低海水的pH值，改变海水的碳酸盐化学性质，对海洋生物和生态系统产生影响。目前的研究表明，许多物种的钙化会减少，但碳酸钙结构功能受损的令人信服的证据很少，特别是在关键物种中。在这里，我们表明，海洋酸化显着降低贻贝贻贝加州，整个东北太平洋的岩石海岸上的一个重要的社区成员的幼虫壳的机械完整性。在2100年之前，在含CO2浓度（540或970 ppm）的海水中养殖的幼虫比在现今海水条件下（380 ppm）养殖的个体沉淀出更弱，更薄和更小的壳，并且也表现出更低的组织质量。在这种情况下，贻贝幼虫暴露于不同的二氧化碳水平以类似的速度发展，这些趋势表明一套潜在的后果，包括新定居者的破碎和钻孔攻击食肉动物的脆弱性加剧;幼虫条件较差，导致变态过程中的能量压力增加;和更大的风险，在低潮时由于壳面积与身体质量比的变化而干燥。在另一种情况下，反应完全来自缓慢的发展，与受影响的个人达到相同的里程碑，壳强度和大小的解决，延长幼虫期可能会增加暴露于高寄生虫死亡率。在这两种情况下，由于早期生命阶段是种群瓶颈，推动了分布和丰度的一般模式，这一重要物种的生态成功可能与未来几十年海洋酸化的进展有关。
Anthropogenic CO2 is reducing the pH and altering the carbonate chemistry of seawater, with repercussions for marine organisms and ecosystems. Current research suggests that calcification will decrease in many species, but compelling evidence of impaired functional performance of calcium carbonate structures is sparse, particularly in key species. Here we demonstrate that ocean acidification markedly degrades the mechanical integrity of larval shells in the mussel Mytilus californianus, a critical community member on rocky shores throughout the northeastern Pacific. Larvae cultured in seawater containing CO2 concentrations expected by the year 2100 (540 or 970ppm) precipitated weaker, thinner and smaller shells than individuals raised under present-day seawater conditions (380ppm), and also exhibited lower tissue mass. Under a scenario where mussel larvae exposed to different CO2 levels develop at similar rates, these trends suggest a suite of potential consequences, including an exacerbated vulnerability of new settlers to crushing and drilling attacks by predators; poorer larval condition, causing increased energetic stress during metamorphosis; and greater risks from desiccation at low tide due to shifts in shell area to body mass ratios. Under an alternative scenario where responses derive exclusively from slowed development, with impacted individuals reaching identical milestones in shell strength and size by settlement, a lengthened larval phase could increase exposure to high planktonic mortality rates. In either case, because early life stages operate as population bottlenecks, driving general patterns of distribution and abundance, the ecological success of this vital species may be tied to how ocean acidification proceeds in coming decades.