Ocean acidification does not limit squid metabolism via blood oxygen supply

• Published in: Journal of Experimental Biology
• Main Authors: Birk, Matthew A., McLean, Erin L., Seibel, Brad A.
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: The Company of Biologists Ltd 2018
• Subjects: RESEARCH ARTICLE; Ocean acidification
• Online Access: http://jeb.biologists.org/cgi/content/short/221/19/jeb187443; https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.187443

Ocean acidification is hypothesized to limit the performance of squid owing to their exceptional oxygen demand and pH sensitivity of blood–oxygen binding, which may reduce oxygen supply in acidified waters. The critical oxygen partial pressure ( P crit ), the P O 2 below which oxygen supply cannot match basal demand, is a commonly reported index of hypoxia tolerance. Any CO 2 -induced reduction in oxygen supply should be apparent as an increase in P crit . In this study, we assessed the effects of CO 2 (46–143 Pa; 455–1410 μatm) on the metabolic rate and P crit of two squid species – Dosidicus gigas and Doryteuthis pealeii – through manipulative experiments. We also developed a model, with inputs for hemocyanin pH sensitivity, blood P CO 2 and buffering capacity, that simulates blood oxygen supply under varying seawater CO 2 partial pressures. We compare model outputs with measured P crit in squid. Using blood–O 2 parameters from the literature for model inputs, we estimated that, in the absence of blood acid–base regulation, an increase in seawater P CO 2 to 100 Pa (≈1000 μatm) would result in a maximum drop in arterial hemocyanin–O 2 saturation by 1.6% at normoxia and a P crit increase of ≈0.5 kPa. Our live-animal experiments support this supposition, as CO 2 had no effect on measured metabolic rate or P crit in either squid species.