Echinoderm sperm swimming and fertilization ...

• Main Authors: Nishizaki, Michael, Leuchtenberger, Sara, Daleo, Maris, Gullickson, Peter, Delgado, Andi, Lo, Carly
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: Dryad 2022
• Subjects: sea urchin; sand dollar; Echinoderm; pH; Mesocentrotus franciscanus; Dendraster excentricus; Fertilization; sperm swimming; thermal performance curve; thermal stress; multiple stressors; FOS Biological sciences; Ocean acidification
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.5061/dryad.jwstqjqbz; https://datadryad.org/stash/dataset/doi:10.5061/dryad.jwstqjqbz

In an era of climate change, impacts on the marine environment include warming and ocean acidification. These effects can be amplified in shallow coastal regions where conditions often fluctuate widely. This type of environmental variation is potentially important for many nearshore species that are broadcast spawners, releasing eggs and sperm into the water column for fertilization. We conducted two experiments to investigate: 1) the impact of water temperature on sperm swimming characteristics and fertilization rate in sand dollars (Dendraster excentricus) and sea urchins (Mesocentrotus franciscanus) and; 2) the combined effects of multiple stressors (water temperature and pH) on these traits in sand dollars. We quantify thermal performance curves showing that sand dollar fertilization rates, sperm swimming velocities, and sperm motility display remarkably wide thermal breadths relative to red urchins, perhaps reflecting the wider range of water temperatures experienced by sand dollars at our field sites. ... : Data from experiments conducted at the University of Washington Friday Harbor Laboratories in 2020-2021. ...