| Summary: | As atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) rise, the ocean acts as a sink and absorbs this CO2. This absorption mixes CO2 with seawater, forming carbonic acid, which dissociates into bicarbonate ions, carbonate ions, and hydrogen ions. The production of hydrogen ions as a result of the absorption of CO2 has resulted in a process called ocean acidification. Ocean acidification may affect the behavior of many marine organisms, including fish and crustaceans, such as shrimp. I examined the potential effects of ocean acidification on the tail flip predator escape response and feeding behavior of an estuarine grass shrimp, Palaemonetes vulgaris. To test the effects of ocean acidification on these behaviors, shrimp were maintained in either control conditions or experimental conditions in accordance with projected values for ocean acidification for two or three weeks. Control conditions represented the historic ocean pH of 8.2 and experimental conditions represented the projected future conditions for ocean acidification of pH 7.8; control and experimental conditions were maintained at the same temperature of 22 C. To test the effect of ocean acidification on the tail flip predator escape response, I measured the total distance traveled in response to a simulated predator attack for shrimp living under control and acidified conditions. To test the effect of ocean acidification on feeding behavior, I measured the amount of time it took shrimp to locate and grasp a piece of food after it was introduced into the tank. Shrimp living under acidified conditions traveled further during tail flip responses than did shrimp in control conditions, potentially allowing these organisms to avoid predation. Shrimp living in acidified conditions, however, took longer to locate and grasp food once it was introduced. These changes may have larger impacts on estuarine ecosystems as less predation would increase grass shrimp populations, while an increase in the amount of time it takes shrimp to detect the presence of food ...
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