Salinity sensitivity of early embryos of the Antarctic sea urchin, Sterechinus neumayeri

• Published in: Polar biology Vol. 32; no. 3; pp. 435 - 441
• Main Authors: Cowart, Dominique A, Ulrich, Paul N, Miller, Douglas C, Marsh, Adam G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Berlin/Heidelberg : Springer-Verlag 01.03.2009; Springer-Verlag; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Climate change; Echinodermata; Ecology; Ecosystem structure; Embryos; Freshwater ice; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Global climate; Ice shelves; Invertebrates; Larvae; Life Sciences; Low temperature; Marine biology; Marine environment; Microbiology; Oceanography; Original Paper; Particular ecosystems; Plant Sciences; Salinity; Studies; Synecology; Zoology; Antarctica; Development; Antarctica; Sea urchin; Embryos; Salinity; Embryo; Echinodermata; Echinoidea; Polar region; Invertebrata
• ISSN: 0722-4060; 1432-2056
• DOI: 10.1007/s00300-008-0536-7

Embryos and larvae of the Antarctic sea urchin, Sterechinus neumayeri, have received considerable experimental attention assessing impacts of low temperature on development; however, salinity effects are not well documented because heretofore, the Antarctic coastal marine environment has been remarkably stenohaline. In this study, subtle decreases of 2 and 4 parts per 1,000 in standard salinity were tested to see if the developmental rate of S. neumayeri embryos would be impacted by a potential hyposmotic stress. At 30 psu, significantly fewer embryos (2 individuals out of 198 tested) reached morula stage by 36 h post-fertilization in comparison embryos in control treatments at 34 psu. Antarctic sea urchins are an important component of marine environments due to their grazing activities. Reductions in larval recruitment success due to the influx of freshwater from melting ice shelves resulting from global climate change could have far-reaching impacts on benthic ecosystem structure in Antarctica.