Seawater carbonate chemistry and density and size-frequency distribution, shell morphology, shell integrity, fracture resistance, and desiccation tolerance of intertidal gastropod

• Main Authors: Viotti, Sofía, Sangil, Carlos, Hernández, Celso Agustín, Hernández, José Carlos
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: PANGAEA 2019
• Subjects: Abundance; standard error; Abundance per area; Alkalinity; total; Animalia; Aragonite saturation state; Aspect ratio; Benthic animals; Benthos; Bicarbonate ion; Biomass/Abundance/Elemental composition; Calcite saturation state; Calculated using seacarb after Nisumaa et al. (2010); Carbon; inorganic; dissolved; Carbonate ion; Carbonate system computation flag; Carbon dioxide; CO2 vent; Coast and continental shelf; Corrosion; Dessication tolerance; EXP; Experiment; Field observation; Force; Fuencaliente; Fugacity of carbon dioxide (water) at sea surface temperature (wet air); Identification; Individuals; Mollusca; Mortality/Survival; North Atlantic; Number of dead; OA-ICC; Ocean Acidification International Coordination Centre; Other studied parameter or process; Partial pressure of carbon dioxide (water) at sea surface temperature (wet air); pH; Phorcus sauciatus; Registration number of species; Salinity; North East Atlantic; Ocean acidification
• Online Access: https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.914522; https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.914522

Volcanic CO2 vents are useful environments for investigating the biological responses of marine organisms to changing ocean conditions (Ocean acidification, OA). Marine shelled molluscs are highly sensitive to changes in seawater carbonate chemistry. In this study, we investigated the effects of reduced pH on the intertidal gastropod, Phorcus sauciatus, in a volcanic CO2 vent off La Palma Island (Canary Islands, North East Atlantic Ocean), a location with a natural pH gradient ranging from 7.0 to 8.2 over the tidal cycles. Density and size-frequency distribution, shell morphology, shell integrity, fracture resistance, and desiccation tolerance were evaluated between populations from control and CO2 vent sites. We found no effects of reduced pH on population parameters or desiccation tolerance across the pH gradient, but significant differences in shell morphology, shell integrity, and fracture resistance were detected. Individuals from the CO2 vent site exhibited a higher shell aspect ratio, greater percentages of shell dissolution and break, and compromised shell strength than those from the control site. Our results highlight that long-term exposure to high pCO2 can negatively affect the shell features of P. sauciatus but may not have a significant effect on population performance. Moreover, we suggest that loss of shell properties could lead to changes in predator-prey interactions.