Impact of CO2-driven acidification on the development of the sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus (Selenka) (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea).
We evaluated the impact of ocean acidification on the early development of sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus. The effect of pH-levels (pH 8.04, 7.85, 7.70 and 7.42) were tested on post-fertilization success, developmental (stage duration) and growth rates. Post-fertilization success decreased linearly with pH leading to a 6% decrease at pH 7.42 as compared to pH 8.1. The impact of pH on developmental time was stage-dependent: (1) stage duration increased linearly with decreasing pH in early-auricularia stage; (2) decreased linearly with decreasing pH in the mid-auricularia stage; but (3) pH decline had no effect on the late-auricularia stage. At the end of the experiment, the size of doliolaria larvae linearly increased with decreasing pH. In conclusion, a 0.62 unit decrease in pH had relatively small effects on A. japonicus early life-history compared to other echinoderms, leading to a maximum of 6% decrease in post-fertilization success and subtle effects on growth and development.
National Marine Environmental Monitoring Center, State Oceanic Administration, Dalian 116023, PR China. Electronic address: xtyuan@nmemc.org.cn.
Xiutang
X
Yuan
National Marine Environmental Monitoring Center, State Oceanic Administration, Dalian 116023, PR China.
Senlin
S
Shao
University of Gothenburg, The Sven Lovén Centre for Marine Sciences - Kristineberg, Fiskebäckskil 45178, Sweden.
Sam
S
Dupont
National Marine Environmental Monitoring Center, State Oceanic Administration, Dalian 116023, PR China.
Leiming
L
Meng
National Marine Environmental Monitoring Center, State Oceanic Administration, Dalian 116023, PR China.
Yongjian
Y
Liu
National Marine Environmental Monitoring Center, State Oceanic Administration, Dalian 116023, PR China.
Lijun
L
Wang
D000818:Animals; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D004777:Environment; D005260:Female; D005306:Fertilization; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007814:Larva / Q000254:growth & development; D008018:Life Cycle Stages; D008297:Male; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry*; D047528:Stichopus / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology
D002245:Carbon Dioxide
Apostichopus japonicus; Early development; Holothuroid; Larval growth; Ocean acidification