Stage-Specific Changes in Physiological and Life-History Responses to Elevated Temperature and Pco2during the Larval Development of the European LobsterHomarus gammarus(L.)

Small, DP, Calosi, P, Boothroyd, D, Widdicombe, S and Spicer, JI 2015 Stage-Specific Changes in Physiological and Life-History Responses to Elevated Temperature and Pco2during the Larval Development of the European LobsterHomarus gammarus(L.). Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, 88 (5). 494-507. https://doi.org/10.1086/682238

Full text not available from this repository.

Abstract/Summary

An organism’s physiological processes form the link between its life-history traits and the prevailing environmental conditions, especially in species with complex life cycles. Understanding how these processes respond to changing environmental conditions, thereby affecting organismal development, is critical if we are to predict the biological implications of current and future global climate change. However, much of our knowledge is derived from adults or single developmental stages. Consequently, we investigated the metabolic rate, organic content, carapace mineralization, growth, and survival across each larval stage of the European lobster Homarus gammarus, reared under current and predicted future ocean warming and acidification scenarios. Larvae exhibited stage-specific changes in the temperature sensitivity of their metabolic rate. Elevated Pco2 increased C∶N ratios and interacted with elevated temperature to affect carapace mineralization. These changes were linked to concomitant changes in survivorship and growth, from which it was concluded that bottlenecks were evident during H. gammarus larval development in stages I and IV, the transition phases between the embryonic and pelagic larval stages and between the larval and megalopa stages, respectively. We therefore suggest that natural changes in optimum temperature during ontogeny will be key to larvae survival in a future warmer ocean. The interactions of these natural changes with elevated temperature and Pco2 significantly alter physiological condition and body size of the last larval stage before the transition from a planktonic to a benthic life style. Thus, living and growing in warm, hypercapnic waters could compromise larval lobster growth, development, and recruitment.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Subjects:	Conservation Ecology and Environment Marine Sciences
Divisions:	Plymouth Marine Laboratory > Science Areas > Marine Ecology and Biodiversity
Depositing User:	Prof Stephen Widdicombe
Date made live:	26 Apr 2018 13:45
Last Modified:	25 Apr 2020 09:58
URI:	https://plymsea.ac.uk/id/eprint/7719

Actions (login required)

View Item