Habitat selection by marine larvae in changing chemical environments.
The replenishment and persistence of marine species is contingent on dispersing larvae locating suitable habitat and surviving to a reproductive stage. Pelagic larvae rely on environmental cues to make behavioural decisions with chemical information being important for habitat selection at settlement. We explored the sensory world of crustaceans and fishes focusing on the impact anthropogenic alterations (ocean acidification, red soil, pesticide) have on conspecific chemical signals used by larvae for habitat selection. Crustacean (Stenopus hispidus) and fish (Chromis viridis) larvae recognized their conspecifics via chemical signals under control conditions. In the presence of acidified water, red soil or pesticide, the ability of larvae to chemically recognize conspecific cues was altered. Our study highlights that recruitment potential on coral reefs may decrease due to anthropogenic stressors. If so, populations of fishes and crustaceans will continue their rapid decline; larval recruitment will not replace and sustain the adult populations on degraded reefs.
EPHE, PSL Research University, UPVD-CNRS, USR3278 CRIOBE, F-66360 Perpignan, France; Laboratoire d'Excellence CORAIL, Moorea, French Polynesia. Electronic address: lecchini@univ-perp.fr.
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Lecchini
School Marine Science and Policy, University of Delaware, Newark, USA.
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Dixson
Laboratoire d'Excellence CORAIL, Moorea, French Polynesia; University of Versailles-Saint, Versailles, France.
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Lecellier
EPHE, PSL Research University, UPVD-CNRS, USR3278 CRIOBE, F-66360 Perpignan, France; Equipe Biologie Intégrative de la Métamorphose BIOM UMR7232 CNRS-UPMC Observatoire Océanologique de Banyuls sur mer, Banyuls sur mer, France.
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Roux
Laboratoire de Morphologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, AFFISH Research Center, Liege, Belgium.
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Frédérich
EPHE, PSL Research University, UPVD-CNRS, USR3278 CRIOBE, F-66360 Perpignan, France; Molecular Zoology Team, Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS UMR 5242, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Lyon, France.
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Besson
Sesoko Station, Tropical Biosphere Research Center, University of the Ryukyus, Sesoko, Japan.
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Tanaka
EPHE, PSL Research University, UPVD-CNRS, USR3278 CRIOBE, F-66360 Perpignan, France.
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Banaigs
Graduate School of Kuroshio Science, Kochi University, Kochi, Japan.
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Nakamura
D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D057894:Coral Reefs; D003445:Crustacea / Q000502:physiology*; D003463:Cues; D017753:Ecosystem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D007814:Larva / Q000502:physiology; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D010473:Perciformes / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity
D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
Acidification; Coral reef; Larval recruitment; Pesticides; Red soil pollution