Ocean acidification alters predator behaviour and reduces predation rate.
Ocean acidification poses a range of threats to marine invertebrates; however, the emerging and likely widespread effects of rising carbon dioxide (CO2) levels on marine invertebrate behaviour are still little understood. Here, we show that ocean acidification alters and impairs key ecological behaviours of the predatory cone snail Conus marmoreus Projected near-future seawater CO2levels (975 µatm) increased activity in this coral reef molluscivore more than threefold (from less than 4 to more than 12 mm min-1) and decreased the time spent buried to less than one-third when compared with the present-day control conditions (390 µatm). Despite increasing activity, elevated CO2reduced predation rate during predator-prey interactions with control-treated humpbacked conch, Gibberulus gibberulus gibbosus; 60% of control predators successfully captured and consumed their prey, compared with only 10% of elevated CO2predators. The alteration of key ecological behaviours of predatory invertebrates by near-future ocean acidification could have potentially far-reaching implications for predator-prey interactions and trophic dynamics in marine ecosystems. Combined evidence that the behaviours of both species in this predator-prey relationship are altered by elevated CO2suggests food web interactions and ecosystem structure will become increasingly difficult to predict as ocean acidification advances over coming decades.
Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia sueann.watson@jcu.edu.au.
Sue-Ann
0000-0002-9818-7429
SA
Watson
Pitzer College, Claremont, CA 91711, USA.
Jennifer B
JB
Fields
Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia.
Philip L
PL
Munday
D000818:Animals; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000502:physiology* / Q000633:toxicity; D052078:Conus Snail / Q000502:physiology; D049851:Gastropoda / Q000502:physiology*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008124:Locomotion / Q000502:physiology; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D011235:Predatory Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry
D002245:Carbon Dioxide
carbon dioxide; coral reef; invertebrate; mollusc; predator–prey; trophic interaction