Ocean Acidification, but Not Environmental Contaminants, Affects Fertilization Success and Sperm Motility in the Sea Urchin Paracentrotus lividus

• Published in: Journal of Marine Science and Engineering
• Main Authors: Marco Munari, Alessandro Devigili, Giulia dalle Palle, Davide Asnicar, Paolo Pastore, Denis Badocco, Maria Gabriella Marin
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2022
• Subjects: seawater acidification; aquatic pollutants; echinoderms; gametes; spermatozoa; Naval architecture. Shipbuilding. Marine engineering; VM1-989; Oceanography; GC1-1581; Ocean acidification
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse10020247; https://doaj.org/article/6980b7745bfe478fbbdc9d4047b9fb55

Ocean acidification poses an increasing concern for broadcast spawning species that release gametes in the water column where fertilization occurs. Indeed, the functionality of gametes and their interactions may be negatively affected by reduced pH. Susceptibility to other environmental stressors, such as pollutants, may be also altered under acidified conditions, resulting in more detrimental effects. To verify this hypothesis, combined exposures to CO 2 -driven acidification and environmentally relevant concentrations (0.5 µg/L) of three contaminants (caffeine, diclofenac, and PFOS, all singularly or in mixture) were carried out to highlight potential negative effects on fertilization success and motility of sperm in the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus . Our results showed a significant reduction in the percentage of fertilized eggs when sperm were pre-exposed to reduced pH (ambient pH minus 0.4 units) compared to that of controls (ambient, pH = 8.1). Sperm speed and motility also decreased when sperm were activated and then exposed at reduced pH. Conversely, at both pH values tested, no significant effect due to the contaminants, nor of their interaction with pH, was found on any of the biological endpoints considered.