Ocean acidification is causing increased predation on Mytilus californianus by specialist and generalist crabs
Ocean acidification is negatively impacting organisms that use calcium carbonate to form their shells. Increasing OA conditions are putting a strain on these calcareous animals by weakening their shells, thus causing them to become more vulnerable to predation. Worsening shell integrity may lead to...
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ftoregonstate:ir.library.oregonstate.edu:q237hx629 2023-07-02T03:33:19+02:00 Ocean acidification is causing increased predation on Mytilus californianus by specialist and generalist crabs Toner, Miranda M. Corliss, Katherine M. Britsch, Melissa Integrative Biology https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/concern/defaults/q237hx629 English [eng] eng Oregon State University https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/concern/defaults/q237hx629 Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) Crabs Ocean acidification California mussel Research Paper ftoregonstate 2023-06-11T16:51:20Z Ocean acidification is negatively impacting organisms that use calcium carbonate to form their shells. Increasing OA conditions are putting a strain on these calcareous animals by weakening their shells, thus causing them to become more vulnerable to predation. Worsening shell integrity may lead to a decline in hard-shelled prey populations as predators are able to break them open with greater ease. For this study, possible consequences of ocean acidification on predator-prey interactions was tested by comparing the number of normal to thin-shelled mussels eaten by two species of crabs. The time it took each crab to break into both types of mussel was also recorded. It was hypothesized that these crabs would eat a higher proportion of thin-shelled mussels over normal mussels due to their easier accessibility. It was found that crabs preferred thin-shelled mussels over normal mussels, and thus consumed them in higher quantities. Timed trials conducted on the shell-breaking times for each crab showed that thin-shelled mussels took significantly less time to open than normal mussels. These results provide insight into shifting future community structures as a direct product of ocean acidification. Report Ocean acidification ScholarsArchive@OSU (Oregon State University) |
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ScholarsArchive@OSU (Oregon State University) |
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English |
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Crabs Ocean acidification California mussel |
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Crabs Ocean acidification California mussel Toner, Miranda M. Ocean acidification is causing increased predation on Mytilus californianus by specialist and generalist crabs |
topic_facet |
Crabs Ocean acidification California mussel |
description |
Ocean acidification is negatively impacting organisms that use calcium carbonate to form their shells. Increasing OA conditions are putting a strain on these calcareous animals by weakening their shells, thus causing them to become more vulnerable to predation. Worsening shell integrity may lead to a decline in hard-shelled prey populations as predators are able to break them open with greater ease. For this study, possible consequences of ocean acidification on predator-prey interactions was tested by comparing the number of normal to thin-shelled mussels eaten by two species of crabs. The time it took each crab to break into both types of mussel was also recorded. It was hypothesized that these crabs would eat a higher proportion of thin-shelled mussels over normal mussels due to their easier accessibility. It was found that crabs preferred thin-shelled mussels over normal mussels, and thus consumed them in higher quantities. Timed trials conducted on the shell-breaking times for each crab showed that thin-shelled mussels took significantly less time to open than normal mussels. These results provide insight into shifting future community structures as a direct product of ocean acidification. |
author2 |
Corliss, Katherine M. Britsch, Melissa Integrative Biology |
format |
Report |
author |
Toner, Miranda M. |
author_facet |
Toner, Miranda M. |
author_sort |
Toner, Miranda M. |
title |
Ocean acidification is causing increased predation on Mytilus californianus by specialist and generalist crabs |
title_short |
Ocean acidification is causing increased predation on Mytilus californianus by specialist and generalist crabs |
title_full |
Ocean acidification is causing increased predation on Mytilus californianus by specialist and generalist crabs |
title_fullStr |
Ocean acidification is causing increased predation on Mytilus californianus by specialist and generalist crabs |
title_full_unstemmed |
Ocean acidification is causing increased predation on Mytilus californianus by specialist and generalist crabs |
title_sort |
ocean acidification is causing increased predation on mytilus californianus by specialist and generalist crabs |
publisher |
Oregon State University |
url |
https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/concern/defaults/q237hx629 |
genre |
Ocean acidification |
genre_facet |
Ocean acidification |
op_relation |
https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/concern/defaults/q237hx629 |
op_rights |
Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) |
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1770273195659624448 |