Can trans-generational experiments be used to enhance species resilience to ocean warming and acidification?

• Published in: Evolutionary Applications
• Main Authors: Chakravarti, Leela, Jarrold, Michael D., Gibbin, Emma M., Christen, Felix, Massamba-N'Siala, Gloria, Blier, Pierre U., Calosi, Piero
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: Wiley-Blackwell 2016
• Subjects: Ocean acidification
• Online Access: https://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/47225/1/47225_Chakravarti%20et%20al_2016.pdf

Human-assisted, trans-generational exposure to ocean warming and acidification has been proposed as a conservation and/or restoration tool to produce resilient offspring. To improve our understanding of the need for and the efficacy of this approach, we characterized life-history and physiological responses in offspring of the marine polychaete Ophryotrocha labronica exposed to predicted ocean warming (OW: + 3 degrees C), ocean acidification (OA: pH -0.5) and their combination (OWA: + 3 degrees C, pH -0.5), following the exposure of their parents to either control conditions (within-generational exposure) or the same conditions (trans-generational exposure). Trans-generational exposure to OW fully alleviated the negative effects of within-generational exposure to OW on fecundity and egg volume and was accompanied by increased metabolic activity. While within-generational exposure to OA reduced juvenile growth rates and egg volume, trans-generational exposure alleviated the former but could not restore the latter. Surprisingly, exposure to OWA had no negative impacts within-or trans-generationally. Our results highlight the potential for trans-generational laboratory experiments in producing offspring that are resilient to OW and OA. However, trans-generational exposure does not always appear to improve traits and therefore may not be a universally useful tool for all species in the face of global change.