Ocean Acidification at High Latitudes: Potential Effects on Functioning of the Antarctic Bivalve 'Laternula elliptica'
Ocean acidification is a well recognised threat to marine ecosystems. High latitude regions are predicted to be particularly affected due to cold waters and naturally low carbonate saturation levels. This is of concern for organisms utilising calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) to generate shells or skeletons...
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ftunivnewengland:oai:rune.une.edu.au:1959.11/15875 2023-08-27T04:05:41+02:00 Ocean Acidification at High Latitudes: Potential Effects on Functioning of the Antarctic Bivalve 'Laternula elliptica' Cummings, Vonda Hewitt, Judi Sedcole, Richard Gomez, Antony McGraw, Christina School of Science and Technology Metcalf, Victoria Van Rooyen, Anthony Currie, Kim Beard, Samuel Thrush, Simon Norkko, Joanna Barr, Neill Heath, Philip Halliday, N Jane 2011 https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/15875 en eng Public Library of Science 10.1371/journal.pone.0016069 https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/15875 une:16112 Gold Marine and Estuarine Ecology (incl Marine Ichthyology) Global Change Biology Instrumental Methods (excl Immunological and Bioassay Methods) Journal Article 2011 ftunivnewengland 2023-08-10T19:12:18Z Ocean acidification is a well recognised threat to marine ecosystems. High latitude regions are predicted to be particularly affected due to cold waters and naturally low carbonate saturation levels. This is of concern for organisms utilising calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) to generate shells or skeletons. Studies of potential effects of future levels of pCO₂ on high latitude calcifiers are at present limited, and there is little understanding of their potential to acclimate to these changes. We describe a laboratory experiment to compare physiological and metabolic responses of a key benthic bivalve, 'Laternula elliptica', at pCO₂ levels of their natural environment (430 µatm, pH 7.99; based on field measurements) with those predicted for 2100 (735 µatm, pH 7.78) and glacial levels (187 µatm, pH 8.32). Adult 'L. elliptica' basal metabolism (oxygen consumption rates) and heat shock protein 'HSP70' gene expression levels increased in response both to lowering and elevation of pH. Expression of chitin synthase ('CHS'), a key enzyme involved in synthesis of bivalve shells, was significantly up-regulated in individuals at pH 7.78, indicating 'L. elliptica' were working harder to calcify in seawater undersaturated in aragonite (ΩAᵣ = 0.71), the CaCO₃ polymorph of which their shells are comprised. The different response variables were influenced by pH in differing ways, highlighting the importance of assessing a variety of factors to determine the likely impact of pH change. In combination, the results indicate a negative effect of ocean acidification on whole-organism functioning of 'L. elliptica' over relatively short terms (weeks-months) that may be energetically difficult to maintain over longer time periods. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Ocean acidification Research UNE - University of New England at Armidale, NSW Australia Antarctic The Antarctic |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Research UNE - University of New England at Armidale, NSW Australia |
op_collection_id |
ftunivnewengland |
language |
English |
topic |
Marine and Estuarine Ecology (incl Marine Ichthyology) Global Change Biology Instrumental Methods (excl Immunological and Bioassay Methods) |
spellingShingle |
Marine and Estuarine Ecology (incl Marine Ichthyology) Global Change Biology Instrumental Methods (excl Immunological and Bioassay Methods) Cummings, Vonda Hewitt, Judi Sedcole, Richard Gomez, Antony McGraw, Christina School of Science and Technology Metcalf, Victoria Van Rooyen, Anthony Currie, Kim Beard, Samuel Thrush, Simon Norkko, Joanna Barr, Neill Heath, Philip Halliday, N Jane Ocean Acidification at High Latitudes: Potential Effects on Functioning of the Antarctic Bivalve 'Laternula elliptica' |
topic_facet |
Marine and Estuarine Ecology (incl Marine Ichthyology) Global Change Biology Instrumental Methods (excl Immunological and Bioassay Methods) |
description |
Ocean acidification is a well recognised threat to marine ecosystems. High latitude regions are predicted to be particularly affected due to cold waters and naturally low carbonate saturation levels. This is of concern for organisms utilising calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) to generate shells or skeletons. Studies of potential effects of future levels of pCO₂ on high latitude calcifiers are at present limited, and there is little understanding of their potential to acclimate to these changes. We describe a laboratory experiment to compare physiological and metabolic responses of a key benthic bivalve, 'Laternula elliptica', at pCO₂ levels of their natural environment (430 µatm, pH 7.99; based on field measurements) with those predicted for 2100 (735 µatm, pH 7.78) and glacial levels (187 µatm, pH 8.32). Adult 'L. elliptica' basal metabolism (oxygen consumption rates) and heat shock protein 'HSP70' gene expression levels increased in response both to lowering and elevation of pH. Expression of chitin synthase ('CHS'), a key enzyme involved in synthesis of bivalve shells, was significantly up-regulated in individuals at pH 7.78, indicating 'L. elliptica' were working harder to calcify in seawater undersaturated in aragonite (ΩAᵣ = 0.71), the CaCO₃ polymorph of which their shells are comprised. The different response variables were influenced by pH in differing ways, highlighting the importance of assessing a variety of factors to determine the likely impact of pH change. In combination, the results indicate a negative effect of ocean acidification on whole-organism functioning of 'L. elliptica' over relatively short terms (weeks-months) that may be energetically difficult to maintain over longer time periods. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Cummings, Vonda Hewitt, Judi Sedcole, Richard Gomez, Antony McGraw, Christina School of Science and Technology Metcalf, Victoria Van Rooyen, Anthony Currie, Kim Beard, Samuel Thrush, Simon Norkko, Joanna Barr, Neill Heath, Philip Halliday, N Jane |
author_facet |
Cummings, Vonda Hewitt, Judi Sedcole, Richard Gomez, Antony McGraw, Christina School of Science and Technology Metcalf, Victoria Van Rooyen, Anthony Currie, Kim Beard, Samuel Thrush, Simon Norkko, Joanna Barr, Neill Heath, Philip Halliday, N Jane |
author_sort |
Cummings, Vonda |
title |
Ocean Acidification at High Latitudes: Potential Effects on Functioning of the Antarctic Bivalve 'Laternula elliptica' |
title_short |
Ocean Acidification at High Latitudes: Potential Effects on Functioning of the Antarctic Bivalve 'Laternula elliptica' |
title_full |
Ocean Acidification at High Latitudes: Potential Effects on Functioning of the Antarctic Bivalve 'Laternula elliptica' |
title_fullStr |
Ocean Acidification at High Latitudes: Potential Effects on Functioning of the Antarctic Bivalve 'Laternula elliptica' |
title_full_unstemmed |
Ocean Acidification at High Latitudes: Potential Effects on Functioning of the Antarctic Bivalve 'Laternula elliptica' |
title_sort |
ocean acidification at high latitudes: potential effects on functioning of the antarctic bivalve 'laternula elliptica' |
publisher |
Public Library of Science |
publishDate |
2011 |
url |
https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/15875 |
geographic |
Antarctic The Antarctic |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic The Antarctic |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Ocean acidification |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Ocean acidification |
op_relation |
10.1371/journal.pone.0016069 https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/15875 une:16112 |
op_rights |
Gold |
_version_ |
1775357426852167680 |