Impact of ocean acidification in the metabolism and swimming behavior of the dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus) early larvae

• Main Authors: Pimentel, Marta, Pegado, Maria, Repolho, Tiago, Rosa, Rui
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: PANGAEA 2014
• Subjects: Alkalinity; total; standard deviation; Animalia; Aragonite saturation state; Behaviour; Bicarbonate ion; Bottles or small containers/Aquaria (<20 L); Calcite saturation state; Calculated using CO2SYS; Calculated using seacarb after Nisumaa et al. (2010); Carbon; inorganic; dissolved; Carbonate ion; Carbonate system computation flag; Carbon dioxide; Chordata; Coryphaena hippurus; Fugacity of carbon dioxide (water) at sea surface temperature (wet air); Laboratory experiment; Laboratory strains; Larvae; Nekton; Not applicable; OA-ICC; Ocean Acidification International Coordination Centre; Orientation frequency; Partial pressure of carbon dioxide; Partial pressure of carbon dioxide (water) at sea surface temperature (wet air); Pelagos; pH; Reproduction; Ocean acidification
• Online Access: https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.836007; https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.836007

Since the industrial revolution, [CO2]atm has increased from 280 µatm to levels now exceeding 380 µatm and is expected to rise to 730-1,020 µatm by the end of this century. The consequent changes in the ocean's chemistry (e.g., lower pH and availability of the carbonate ions) are expected to pose particular problems for marine organisms, especially in the more vulnerable early life stages. The aim of this study was to investigate how the future predictions of ocean acidification may compromise the metabolism and swimming capabilities of the recently hatched larvae of the tropical dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus). Here, we show that the future environmental hypercapnia (delta pH 0.5; 0.16 % CO2, ~1,600 µatm) significantly (p < 0.05) reduced oxygen consumption rate up to 17 %. Moreover, the swimming duration and orientation frequency also decreased with increasing pCO2 (50 and 62.5 %, respectively). We argue that these hypercapnia-driven metabolic and locomotory challenges may potentially influence recruitment, dispersal success, and the population dynamics of this circumtropical oceanic top predator.