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No ocean acidification effects on shell growth and repair in the New Zealand brachiopod Calloria inconspicua (Sowerby, 1846)

Published version
Peer-reviewed

Repository DOI


Type

Article

Change log

Authors

Cross, Emma L 
Peck, Lloyd S 
Lamare, Miles D 
Harper, Elizabeth M 

Abstract

jats:titleAbstract</jats:title>jats:pSurface seawaters are becoming more acidic due to the absorption of rising anthropogenic CO2. Marine calcifiers are considered to be the most vulnerable organisms to ocean acidification due to the reduction in the availability of carbonate ions for shell or skeletal production. Rhychonelliform brachiopods are potentially one of the most calcium carbonate-dependent groups of marine organisms because of their large skeletal content. Little is known, however, about the effects of lowered pH on these taxa. A CO2 perturbation experiment was performed on the New Zealand terebratulide brachiopod Calloria inconspicua to investigate the effects of pH conditions predicted for 2050 and 2100 on the growth rate and ability to repair shell. Three treatments were used: an ambient pH control (pH 8.16), a mid-century scenario (pH 7.79), and an end-century scenario (pH 7.62). The ability to repair shell was not affected by acidified conditions with &gt;80% of all damaged individuals at the start of the experiment completing shell repair after 12 weeks. Growth rates in undamaged individuals &gt;3 mm in length were also not affected by lowered pH conditions, whereas undamaged individuals &lt;3 mm grew faster at pH 7.62 than the control. The capability of C. inconspicua to continue shell production and repair under acidified conditions suggests that this species has a robust control over the calcification process, where suitable conditions at the site of calcification can be generated across a range of pH conditions.</jats:p>

Description

Keywords

calcification, carbonate saturation, climate change, CO2, pH

Journal Title

ICES JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

1054-3139
1095-9289

Volume Title

73

Publisher

Oxford University Press (OUP)
Sponsorship
The authors would like to thank the science support staff at the Portobello Marine Laboratory, University of Otago, for their help in the set up and maintenance of the ocean acidification experimental system. Thanks also to Kim Currie at National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research for the DIC and total alkalinity measurements. ELC is supported by the NERC PhD Studentship (NE/T/A/ 2011).