The effects of ocean acidification on predator-prey interactions in echinoderms ...
The need to understand future changes in marine ecosystems has become critically important as increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) drives rapid ocean acidification (OA). OA may improve or reduce the performance of marine species, and the relative impacts on interacting species will largely de...
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| Format: | Text |
| Language: | English |
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University of British Columbia
2015
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| Online Access: | https://dx.doi.org/10.14288/1.0166211 https://doi.library.ubc.ca/10.14288/1.0166211 |
| Summary: | The need to understand future changes in marine ecosystems has become critically important as increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) drives rapid ocean acidification (OA). OA may improve or reduce the performance of marine species, and the relative impacts on interacting species will largely determine changes at the community level. The goal of this thesis was to determine the effects of acidification on predator-prey interactions between red sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus franciscanus) and sunflower stars (Pycnopodia helianthoides), a key predator-prey pair in Northeast Pacific kelp forest ecosystems. I tested this question using laboratory mesocosm experiments. Sea urchins were acclimated to ambient (pCO₂ ~ 500 μatm, pH ~ 8.0) or acidified (pCO₂ ~ 1000 μatm, pH ~ 7.7) conditions, with or without a caged sea star, for 22 weeks in a recirculating seawater system. In Chapter 2, I investigated the effects of OA on the growth, calcification, and feeding rate of P. helianthoides. High CO₂ had a significant ... |
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