Effects of seawater acidification on early development of the intertidal sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus, seawater carbonate chemistry and biological processes, supplement to: Moulin, Laure; Catarino, Ana Isabel; Claessens, Thomas; Dubois, Philippe (2011): Effects of seawater acidification on early development of the intertidal sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus (Lamarck 1816). Marine Pollution Bulletin, 62(1), 48-54

• Main Authors: Moulin, Laure, Catarino, Ana Isabel, Claessens, Thomas, Dubois, Philippe
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: PANGAEA - Data Publisher for Earth & Environmental Science 2011
• Subjects: Animalia; Behaviour; Benthic animals; Benthos; Bottles or small containers/Aquaria <20 L; Coast and continental shelf; Development; Echinodermata; Laboratory experiment; North Atlantic; Paracentrotus lividus; Reproduction; FOS Medical biotechnology; Single species; Temperate; European network of excellence for Ocean Ecosystems Analysis EUR-OCEANS; European Project on Ocean Acidification EPOCA; Ocean Acidification International Coordination Centre OA-ICC; DuBois; Lamarck; Laure; Ocean acidification
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.1594/pangaea.763909; https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.763909

The effect of pH ranging from 8.0 to 6.8 (total scale - pHT) on fertilization, cleavage and larval development until pluteus stage was assessed in an intertidal temperate sea urchin. Gametes were obtained from adults collected in two contrasting tide pools, one showing a significant nocturnal pH decrease (lowest pHT = 7.4) and another where pH was more stable (lowest pHT = 7.8). The highest pHT at which significant effects on fertilization and cleavage were recorded was 7.6. On the contrary, larval development was only affected below pHT 7.4, a value equal or lower than that reported for several subtidal species. This suggests that sea urchins inhabiting stressful intertidal environments produce offspring that may better resist future ocean acidification. Moreover, at pHT 7.4, the fertilization rate of gametes whose progenitors came from the tide pool with higher pH decrease was significantly higher, indicating a possible acclimatization or adaptation of gametes to pH stress.