Some like it hot: temperature and pH modulate larval development and settlement of the sea urchin Arbacia lixula
Wangensteen, O.S.; Dupont, S.; Casties, I.; Turon, X.; Palacín, C. (2013). Some like it hot: temperature and pH modulate larval development and settlement of the sea urchin Arbacia lixula. J. Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol. 449: 304-311. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jembe.2013.10.007 In: Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. Elsevier: New York. ISSN 0022-0981; e-ISSN 1879-1697, more |  |
| Keywords | Climate Change
Environmental Managers & Monitoring
Marine Sciences > Biodiversity
Marine Sciences > Oceanography
Policy Makers / Decision Makers
Scientific Community
Scientific Publication
Marine/Coastal | | Author keywords | Larvae; Mediterranean; Ocean acidification; Sea urchin; Settlers;Temperature |
| Project | Top | Authors | - Association of European marine biological laboratories, more
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| Authors | | Top | - Wangensteen, O.S.
- Dupont, S.
- Casties, I.
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| Abstract | We studied the effects of temperature and pH on larval development, settlement and juvenile survival of a Mediterranean population of the sea urchin Arbacia lixula. Three temperatures (16, 17.5 and 19 °C) were tested at present pH conditions (pHT 8.1). At 19 °C, two pH levels were compared to reflect present average (pHT 8.1) and near-future average conditions (pHT 7.7, expected by 2100). Larvae were reared for 52-days to achieve the full larval development and complete the metamorphosis to the settler stage. We analyzed larval survival, growth, morphology and settlement success. We also tested the carry-over effect of acidification on juvenile survival after 3 days. Our results showed that larval survival and size significantly increased with temperature. Acidification resulted in higher survival rates and developmental delay. Larval morphology was significantly altered by low temperatures, which led to narrower larvae with relatively shorter skeletal rods, but larval morphology was only marginally affected by acidification. No carry-over effects between larvae and juveniles were detected in early settler survival, though settlers from larvae reared at pH 7.7 were significantly smaller than their counterparts developed at pH 8.1. These results suggest an overall positive effect of environmental parameters related to global change on the reproduction of A. lixula, and reinforce the concerns about the increasing negative impact on shallow Mediterranean ecosystems of this post-glacial colonizer. |
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