Publication Date:
2024-03-20
Description:
Ocean acidification is anticipated to decrease calcification and increase dissolution of shelled molluscs. Molluscs with thinner and weaker shells may be more susceptible to predation, but not all studies have measured negative responses of molluscs to elevated pCO2. Recent studies measuring the response of molluscs have found greater variability at the population level than first expected. Here we investigate the impact of acidification on the predatory whelk Morula marginalba and genetically distinct subpopulations of the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas. Whelks and eight family lines of C. gigas were separately exposed to ambient (385 ppm) and elevated (1000 ppm) pCO2 for 6 weeks. Following this period, individuals of M. marginalba were transferred into tanks with oysters at ambient and elevated pCO2 for 17 days. The increase in shell height of the oysters was on average 63% less at elevated compared to ambient pCO2. There were differences in shell compression strength, thickness, and mass among family lines of C. gigas, with sometimes an interaction between pCO2 and family line. Against expectations, this study found increased shell strength in the prey and reduced shell strength in the predator at elevated compared to ambient pCO2. After 10 days, the whelks consumed significantly more oysters regardless of whether C. gigas had been exposed to ambient or elevated CO2, but this was not dependent on the family line and the effect was not significant after 17 days. Our study found an increase in predation after exposure of the predator to predicted near-future levels of estuarine pCO2.
Keywords:
Alkalinity, total; Alkalinity, total, standard error; Animalia; Aragonite saturation state; Behaviour; Benthic animals; Benthos; Bicarbonate ion; Calcite saturation state; Calculated using seacarb after Nisumaa et al. (2010); Carbon, inorganic, dissolved; Carbonate ion; Carbonate system computation flag; Carbon dioxide; Coast and continental shelf; Compression strength; Compression strength, standard error; Containers and aquaria (20-1000 L or 〈 1 m**2); Crassostrea gigas; Fugacity of carbon dioxide (water) at sea surface temperature (wet air); Growth/Morphology; Height; Height, standard error; Identification; Incubation duration; Individuals; Individuals, standard error; Laboratory experiment; Metabolic rate of oxygen; Metabolic rate of oxygen, standard error; Mollusca; OA-ICC; Ocean Acidification International Coordination Centre; Other studied parameter or process; Partial pressure of carbon dioxide (water) at sea surface temperature (wet air); pH; pH, standard error; Potentiometric; Potentiometric titration; Respiration; Salinity; Salinity, standard error; Single species; South Pacific; Species; Species interaction; Temperate; Temperature, water; Temperature, water, standard error
Type:
Dataset
Format:
text/tab-separated-values, 37864 data points
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