Kwan et al.,Dryad_data_Final

• Main Authors: Kwan, Garfield, Hamilton, Trevor, Tresguerres, Martin
• Format: Dataset
• Language: unknown
• Published: Dryad Digital Repository 2017
• Subjects: upwelling; GABA; Califonia fish; kelp; anxiety; Cimate change; Chromis punctipinnis; Ocean acidification
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.5061/dryad.2m353/1; http://datadryad.org/resource/doi:10.5061/dryad.2m353/1

Due to anthropogenic CO 2 emissions and the subsequent process of ocean acidification (OA), open ocean surface CO 2 levels are projected to more than double to ~1,000 μatm, and pH to decrease by ~0.3 units by the year 2100. When exposed to these CO 2 /pH values, several fish species display abnormal behaviour in laboratory tests, an effect proposed to be linked to altered neuronal GABA A receptor function. This study examined the effects of constant and oscillating OA-like conditions on individual and group behaviour of juvenile blacksmith ( Chromis punctipinnis ), a social fish that regularly experiences CO 2 /pH fluctuations through kelp forest diurnal primary production and upwelling events. Blacksmiths were exposed to three treatments: control (pH ~7.92; pCO 2 ~540 μatm); constant acidification (pH ~7.72; pCO 2 ~920 μatm); and oscillating acidification (pH ~7.92, pCO 2 ~560 μatm (day), pH ~7.75, pCO 2 ~955 μatm (night)). After seven and eleven days, respectively, blacksmiths were administered individual light/dark preference and group shoaling tests, which are well-validated measures of anxiety-like behaviour and are modulated by GABA A receptors. In addition, to investigate potential interactions between OA and season of the year, the effect of CO 2 /pH on individual blacksmith behaviour was tested in January (16.50 ± 0.01 o C) and September (23.10 ± 0.01 o C). While season had a significant effect on light/dark preference, oscillating acidification did not affect any behavioural parameter, suggesting blacksmiths are tolerant to projected future OA conditions.