Effects of Seawater Acidification on Early Development of Clam Cyclina sinensis

• Published in: Journal of Ocean University of China Vol. 18; no. 4; pp. 913 - 918
• Main Authors: Sui, Yanming, Zhou, Kai, Lai, Qifang, Yao, Zongli, Gao, Pengchen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Heidelberg Science Press 01.10.2019; Springer Nature B.V; Engineering Research Center of Saline-alkaline Water Fisheries, East China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Shanghai 200090, China
• Subjects: Acclimation; Acclimatization; Acidification; Animal embryos; Anthropogenic factors; Biological fertilization; Body size; Carbon dioxide; Carbonates; Clams; Coastal environments; Cyclina sinensis; Developmental stages; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth Sciences; Embryogenesis; Embryonic growth stage; Embryos; Environmental changes; Fertilization; Hatching; Human influences; Larvae; Larval development; Life cycle; Life cycles; Meteorology; Ocean acidification; Oceanography; Oceans; pH effects; Seawater; Shallow water; Survival; Swimming; Swimming behavior; development; fertilization; hatching rate; average path velocity; seawater acidification; Cyclina sinensis
• ISSN: 1672-5182; 1993-5021; 1672-5174
• DOI: 10.1007/s11802-019-3942-2

Anthropogenic emission of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) has led to a rapid increase in atmospheric CO 2 concentration. Increasing atmospheric CO 2 can reduce seawater pH and carbonate ions, which may adversely affect the survival of the larvae of calcareous animals. Cyclina sinensis is a commercially and ecologically important species in several Asian countries. Living in coast shallow waters, this species has experienced the coastal environmental changes frequently throughout its life cycle. In this study, we simulated possible future seawater pH values including 8.2, 7.8 and 7.4 and examined the effects of ocean acidification on the early development of C. sinensis . Clam embryos were incubated for 48 h (2 d) in control and high-CO 2 seawater to compare embryogenesis, larval growth and swimming behavior. Fertilization rate was quite sensitive to pH, and moderate acidification could induce a significant decrease in fertilization rate. However, only extreme acidification could bring significant negative effect to hatching rate, body size, and average path velocity of trochophora. Moreover, with seawater acidification, C. sinensis needs much more time to reach the same developmental stage, which increases the risk of larva survival. Together with recent studies demonstrating negative impacts of high CO 2 on fertilization and larva swimming behavior, the results imply a future decrease of C. sinensis populations in oceans if its acclimation to the predicted environmental alteration does not occur.