The most primitive metazoan animals, the placozoans, show high sensitivity to increasing ocean temperatures and acidities.
The increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) leads to rising temperatures and acidification in the oceans, which directly or indirectly affects all marine organisms, from bacteria to animals. We here ask whether the simplest-and possibly also the oldest-metazoan animals, the placozoans, are particularly sensitive to ocean warming and acidification. Placozoans are found in all warm and temperate oceans and are soft-bodied, microscopic invertebrates lacking any calcified structures, organs, or symmetry. We here show that placozoans respond highly sensitive to temperature and acidity stress. The data reveal differential responses in different placozoan lineages and encourage efforts to develop placozoans as a potential biomarker system.
ITZ, Ecology and Evolution TiHo Hannover Hannover Germany.
Dáša
D
Schleicherová
ITZ, Ecology and EvolutionTiHo Hannover Hannover Germany; Present address: Department of Biological Sciences School of Applied Sciences University of Huddersfield Huddersfield UK.
Katharina
K
Dulias
ITZ, Ecology and Evolution TiHo Hannover Hannover Germany.
Hans-Jűrgen
HJ
Osigus
ITZ, Ecology and Evolution TiHo Hannover Hannover Germany.
Omid
O
Paknia
ITZ, Ecology and Evolution TiHo Hannover Hannover Germany.
Heike
H
Hadrys
ITZ, Ecology and Evolution TiHo Hannover Hannover Germany.
Bernd
B
Schierwater
biomarkers; evolutionary constraints; global warming; ocean acidification; placozoa