Impact of elevated pCO2 on acid-base regulation of the sea urchin Echinometra mathaei and its relation to resistance to ocean acidification: A study in mesocosms

• Main Authors: Moulin, Laure, Grosjean, Philippe, Leblud, Julien, Batigny, Antoine, Dubois, Philippe
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: PANGAEA 2014
• Subjects: Acid-base regulation; Alkalinity; total; Animalia; Aquarium number; Aragonite saturation state; Benthic animals; Benthos; Bicarbonate ion; Calcite saturation state; Calculated; Calculated using seacarb; Calculated using seacarb after Nisumaa et al. (2010); Carbon; inorganic; dissolved; Carbonate ion; Carbonate system computation flag; Carbon dioxide; Coast and continental shelf; Coelomic fluid; partial pressure of carbon dioxide; pH; Containers and aquaria (20-1000 L or < 1 m**2); Date; Echinodermata; Echinometra mathaei; Figure; Fugacity of carbon dioxide (water) at sea surface temperature (wet air); Growth; Growth/Morphology; Identification; Incubation duration; Indian Ocean; Individual code; Infrared spectrometric; Laboratory experiment; OA-ICC; Ocean Acidification International Coordination Centre; Partial pressure of carbon dioxide (water) at sea surface temperature (wet air); Potentiometric; Potentiometric titration; Respiration; Respiration rate; oxygen; Salinity; Ocean acidification
• Online Access: https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.836066; https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.836066

Due to their low metabolism and apparent poor ion regulation ability, sea urchins could be particularly sensitive to ocean acidification resulting from increased dissolution of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Therefore, we evaluated the acid-base regulation ability of the coral reef sea urchin Echinometra mathaei and the impact of decreased pH on its growth and respiration activity. The study was conducted in two identical artificial reef mesocosms during seven weeks. Experimental tanks were maintained respectively at mean pHT 7.7 and 8.05 (with field-like night and day variations). The major physico-chemical parameters were identical, only pCO2 and pHT differed. Results indicate that E. mathaei can regulate the pH of its coelomic fluid in the considered range of pH, allowing a sustainable growth and ensuring an unaffected respiratory metabolism, at least at short term.