title: Ocean acidification increases fatty acids levels of larval fish.
abstract: Rising levels of anthropogenic carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are acidifying the oceans and producing diverse and important effects on marine ecosystems, including the production of fatty acids (FAs) by primary producers and their transfer through food webs. FAs, particularly essential FAs, are necessary for normal structure and function in animals and influence composition and trophic structure of marine food webs. To test the effect of ocean acidification (OA) on the FA composition of fish, we conducted a replicated experiment in which larvae of the marine fish red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) were reared under a climate change scenario of elevated CO2 levels (2100 µatm) and under current control levels (400 µatm). We found significantly higher whole-body levels of FAs, including nine of the 11 essential FAs, and altered relative proportions of FAs in the larvae reared under higher levels of CO2. Consequences of this effect of OA could include alterations in performance and survival of fish larvae and transfer of FAs through food webs.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Mediterráneo de Estudios Avanzados, IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB), C/Miquel Marqués 21, 07190 Esporles, Illes Balears, Spain Laboratori d'Investigacions Marines i Aqüicultura, LIMIA (Balearic Government), C/Eng. Gabriel Roca 69, 07157 Port d'Andratx, Illes Balears, Spain cdiaz@imedea.uib-csic.es.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Díaz-Gil
authors.affiliation: Instituto Mediterráneo de Estudios Avanzados, IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB), C/Miquel Marqués 21, 07190 Esporles, Illes Balears, Spain.
authors.forename: Ignacio A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Catalán
authors.affiliation: Instituto Mediterráneo de Estudios Avanzados, IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB), C/Miquel Marqués 21, 07190 Esporles, Illes Balears, Spain.
authors.forename: Miquel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Palmer
authors.affiliation: Marine Science Institute, The University of Texas at Austin, Port Aransas, TX 78373, USA.
authors.forename: Cynthia K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Faulk
authors.affiliation: Marine Science Institute, The University of Texas at Austin, Port Aransas, TX 78373, USA.
authors.forename: Lee A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Fuiman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D057231:Climate Change; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D007814:Larva / Q000378:metabolism; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D010473:Perciformes / Q000378:metabolism*; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D002245:Carbon Dioxide
keywords: Sciaenops ocellatus; fatty acids; larval fish; ocean acidification