Skeletal Mg content in common echinoderm species from Deception and Livingston Islands (South Shetland Islands, Antarctica) in the context of global change

• Published in: Marine Pollution Bulletin
• Main Authors: García Azcárate, Tomás, Àvila, Conxita, Figuerola, Blanca
• Other Authors: Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (España), Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España), Agencia Estatal de Investigación (España), Generalitat de Catalunya, European Commission, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (España)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2024
• Subjects: Southern Ocean; Global environmental change; Mineralogy; Marine calcifiers; Conserve and sustainably use the oceans; seas and marine resources for sustainable development; Antarctic; Deception Island; Livingston Island; South Shetland Islands; Antarc*; Antarctica; Ocean acidification
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10261/341477; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115956

9 pages, 5 figures, supplementary material https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115956.-- Data availability: The data have been included in the supplemental material Echinoderms with high levels of magnesium (Mg) in their skeletons may be especially sensitive to ocean acidification, as the solubility of calcite increases with its Mg content. However, other structural characteristics and environmental/biological factors may affect skeletal solubility. To better understand which factors can influence skeletal mineralogy, we analyzed the Mg content of Antarctic echinoderms from Deception Island, an active volcano with reduced pH and relatively warm water temperatures, and Livingston Island. We found significant interclass and inter- and intraspecific differences in the Mg content, with asteroids exhibiting the highest levels, followed by ophiuroids and echinoids. Specimens exposed to hydrothermal fluids showed lower Mg levels, which may indicate local environmental effects. These patterns suggest that environmental factors such as seawater Mg2+/Ca2+ ratio and temperature may influence the Mg content of some echinoderms and affect their susceptibility to future environmental changes This study was supported by the projects DISTANTCOM (CTM2013-42667/ANT), BLUEBIO (CTM2016-78901/ANT) and CHALLENGE (PID2019-107979RB-I00), led by CA. TA-G was financed by a Severo Ochoa FPI predoctoral grant (CEX2019-000928-S-20-1) of the Spanish government conceded to the “Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence” Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM) of Barcelona (CEX2019-000928-S). BF has received funding from the postdoctoral fellowships programme Beatriu de Pinós funded by the Secretary of Universities and Research (Government of Catalonia) and by the Horizon 2020 programme of research and innovation of the European Union under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement no. 801370 (Incorporation grant 2019 BP 00183) and from the MedCalRes project Grant PID2021-125323OA-I00 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by ‘ERDF A way of ...