Respiratory plasticity of red drum to chronic hypoxia ...

• Main Authors: Negrete, Benjamin, 0000-0001-6030-6122
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: The University of Texas at Austin 2022
• Subjects: Plasticity; Hypoxia; Fish; Respiration; Oxygen; Hemoglobin; Climate change; Phenotype; Respirometry; Red drum; Sciaenops ocellatus
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.26153/tsw/45159; https://repositories.lib.utexas.edu/handle/2152/118280

Ocean deoxygenation (hypoxia) is a pressing concern in the face of climate change as hypoxic areas increase in size, duration, and magnitude with each year. When a fish cannot escape hypoxia, it must be able to make the appropriate physiological adjustments to maintain fitness. Juveniles and adults can display reversible phenotypic changes in low oxygen (O₂), while embryos and larvae may producing fixed traits that are carried to adulthood through developmental plasticity. Across all life stages aerobic metabolism is the most efficient way that fish generate energy, and the most impacted pathway under hypoxia. In my dissertation, I explore the flexible responses that compensate for changes to aerobic metabolism across different life stages of the marine teleost red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) exposed to chronic, sub-lethal hypoxia. Hypoxia-acclimated juvenile drum demonstrated significant changes in hemoglobin (Hb) isoform expression relative to control. Changes in Hb expression co-occurred with reduced pH ...