Seawater carbonate chemistry and sea urchin reproductive performance

• Main Authors: Smith, Kathryn E, Byrne, Maria, Deaker, Dione, Hird, Cameron M, Nielson, Clara, Wilson-McNeal, Alice, Lewis, Ceri N
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: PANGAEA 2019
• Subjects: Alkalinity; total; standard error; Animalia; Aragonite saturation state; Average path velocity; standard deviation; Benthic animals; Benthos; Bicarbonate ion; Bottles or small containers/Aquaria (<20 L); Calcite saturation state; Calculated using seacarb after Nisumaa et al. (2010); Carbon; inorganic; dissolved; Carbonate ion; Carbonate system computation flag; Carbon dioxide; Coast and continental shelf; Curvilinear velocity; Echinodermata; Event label; EXP; Experiment; Fertilization success rate; Fugacity of carbon dioxide (water) at sea surface temperature (wet air); Heliocidaris erythrogramma; Laboratory experiment; Linearity; Linearity index; Lytechinus pictus; Milk_Beach; North Pacific; Ocean acidification
• Online Access: https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.913488; https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.913488

Ocean acidification (OA) is predicted to be a major driver of ocean biodiversity change. At projected rates of change, sensitive marine taxa may not have time to adapt. Their persistence may depend on pre-existing inter-individual variability. We investigated individual male reproductive performance under present-day and OA conditions using two representative broadcast spawners, the sea urchins Lytechinus pictus and Heliocidaris erythrogramma. Under the non-competitive individual ejaculate scenario, we examined sperm functional parameters (e.g. swimming speed, motility) and their relationship with fertilization success under current and near-future OA conditions. Significant inter-individual differences in almost every parameter measured were identified. Importantly, we observed strong inverse relationships between individual fertilization success rate under current conditions and change in fertilization success under OA. Individuals with a high fertilization success under current conditions had reduced fertilization under OA, while individuals with a low fertilization success under current conditions improved. Change in fertilization success ranged from −67% to +114% across individuals. Our results demonstrate that while average population fertilization rates remain similar under OA and present-day conditions, the contribution by different males to the population significantly shifts, with implications for how selection will operate in a future ocean.