Effects of carbon dioxide exposure on feed intake and gonad growth in green sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis

• Published in: Aquaculture Vol. 266; no. 1; pp. 97 - 101
• Main Authors: Siikavuopio, Sten Ivar, Mortensen, Atle, Dale, Trine, Foss, Atle
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.06.2007; Elsevier Science; Elsevier Sequoia S.A
• Subjects: Adult green sea urchin; Animal aquaculture; Animal productions; Aquatic life; Biological and medical sciences; Carbon dioxide; Carbon dioxide exposure; Comparative analysis; Echinodermata; Echinoidea; Effects; feed conversion; feed intake; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Gonad growth; gonads; Invertebrates; Marine; mortality; Reproductive system; Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis; Carbon dioxide exposure; Adult green sea urchin; Gonad growth; Echinodermata; Growth; Carbon dioxide; Food intake; Gonad; Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis; Echinoidea; Invertebrata; Sea urchin; Aquaculture
• ISSN: 0044-8486; 1873-5622
• DOI: 10.1016/j.aquaculture.2007.02.044

The effects of carbon dioxide (CO 2(aq)) on gonad growth and feed intake in green sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis, were examined. Adult sea urchins with a mean (S.D.) live weight of 50.0 (11.2) g were exposed to two levels of carbon dioxide (CO 2(aq)), (1.1 (control) and 18.1 mg l − 1 ), for 56 days at 6.0 °C and 33‰. Gonad growth was significantly reduced in the high CO 2 concentration group compared to the control group. In the high carbon dioxide treatment, gonad growth was 67% less than the control treatment. Weekly feed intake and total feed consumption were significantly reduced in the high concentration group. The reduction in gonad growth was attributed to a decrease in feed intake and impaired feed conversion efficiency. The present study demonstrates that adult green sea urchins show low tolerance to increased carbon dioxide levels, and are unable to maintain high gonad growth facing such conditions.