title: Mechanical robustness of the calcareous tubeworm Hydroides elegans: warming mitigates the adverse effects of ocean acidification.
abstract: Development of antifouling strategies requires knowledge of how fouling organisms would respond to climate change associated environmental stressors. Here, a calcareous tube built by the tubeworm, Hydroides elegans, was used as an example to evaluate the individual and interactive effects of ocean acidification (OA), warming and reduced salinity on the mechanical properties of a tube. Tubeworms produce a mechanically weaker tube with less resistance to simulated predator attack under OA (pH 7.8). Warming (29°C) increased tube volume, tube mineral density and the tube's resistance to a simulated predatory attack. A weakening effect by OA did not make the removal of tubeworms easier except for the earliest stage, in which warming had the least effect. Reduced salinity (27 psu) did not affect tubes. This study showed that both mechanical analysis and computational modeling can be integrated with biofouling research to provide insights into how fouling communities might develop in future ocean conditions.
authors.affiliation: a The Swire Institute of Marine Sciences and School of Biological Sciences , The University of Hong Kong , Hong Kong SAR , China.
authors.forename: Chaoyi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: a The Swire Institute of Marine Sciences and School of Biological Sciences , The University of Hong Kong , Hong Kong SAR , China.
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.affiliation: b Department of Mechanical Engineering , The Hong Kong Polytechnic University , Hong Kong SAR , China.
authors.forename: Chong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: c Department of Biological Sciences , University of Clemson , Clemson , SC , USA.
authors.forename: Vera B S
authors.initials: VB
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.affiliation: b Department of Mechanical Engineering , The Hong Kong Polytechnic University , Hong Kong SAR , China.
authors.forename: Haimin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.affiliation: a The Swire Institute of Marine Sciences and School of Biological Sciences , The University of Hong Kong , Hong Kong SAR , China.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Thiyagarajan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D057219:Biofouling / Q000517:prevention & control*; D020342:Finite Element Analysis; D057232:Global Warming; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008903:Minerals; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D011077:Polychaeta / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D054712:Salinity; D012623:Seawater / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D013696:Temperature; D055114:X-Ray Microtomography / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D008903:Minerals
keywords: Biofouling; Hydroides elegans; calcification; climate change; finite element analysis; global warming; micro-CT scanning; ocean acidification