Skip to main content
Publications | Persons | Institutes | Projects
[ report an error in this record ]basket (0): add | show Print this page

Sea urchin Arbacia dufresnei (Blainville 1825) larvae response to ocean acidification
Catarino, A.I.; De Ridder, C.; Gonzalez, M.; Gallardo, P.; Dubois, P. (2012). Sea urchin Arbacia dufresnei (Blainville 1825) larvae response to ocean acidification. Polar Biol. 35(3): 455-461. dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00300-011-1074-2
In: Polar Biology. Springer-Verlag: Berlin; Heidelberg. ISSN 0722-4060; e-ISSN 1432-2056, more
Peer reviewed article  

Available in  Authors 

Keywords
    Arbacia dufresnii (Blainville, 1825) [WoRMS]; Echinoidea [WoRMS]
    Marine/Coastal; Terrestrial
Author keywords
    Ocean acidification; Sea urchin; Sub-Antarctic population; Arbaciadufresnei; Larvae

Authors  Top 
  • Catarino, A.I., more
  • De Ridder, C., more
  • Gonzalez, M.
  • Gallardo, P.
  • Dubois, P., more

Abstract
    Increased atmospheric CO2 emissions are inducing changes in seawater carbon chemistry, lowering its pH, decreasing carbonate ion availability and reducing calcium carbonate saturation state. This phenomenon, known as ocean acidification, is happening at a faster rate in cold regions, i.e., polar and sub-polar waters. The larval development of Arbacia dufresnei from a sub-Antarctic population was studied at high (8.0), medium (7.7) and low (7.4) pH waters. The results show that the offspring from sub-Antarctic populations of A. dufresnei are susceptible to a development delay at low pH, with no significant increase in abnormal forms. Larvae were isometric between pH treatments. Even at calcium carbonate (CaCO3) saturation states (of both calcite and aragonite, used as proxies of the magnesium calcite) <1, skeleton deposition occurred. Polar and sub-polar sea urchin larvae can show a certain degree of resilience to acidification, also emphasizing A. dufresnei potential to poleward migrate and further colonize southern regions.

All data in the Integrated Marine Information System (IMIS) is subject to the VLIZ privacy policy Top | Authors