Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Effects of Ocean Warming and Acidification on Fertilization Success and Early Larval Development in the Green Sea Urchin Lytechinus variegatus

ORCID

0000-0003-3811-3791, 0000-0001-6597-0268

ResearcherID

A-9647-2015

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Marine Pollution Bulletin

ISSN

0025-326X

Publication Date

4-2019

Keywords

Acidification, Climate change, Echinoids, Fertilization, Larval growth, Larval development

Abstract

Ocean acidification and warming are predicted to affect the early life of many marine organisms, but their effects can be synergistic or antagonistic. This study assessed the combined effects of near-future (2100) ocean acidification (pH 7.8) and warming (+3 °C) on the fertilization, larval development and growth of the green sea urchin, Lytechinus variegatus, common in tropical reefs of Florida and the Caribbean. Acidification had no effect on fertilization, but delayed larval development, stunted growth, and increased asymmetry. Warming decreased fertilization success when the sperm:egg ratio was higher (1847:1), accelerated larval development, but had no effect on growth. When exposed to both acidification and warming, fertilization rates decreased, larval development accelerated (due to increased respiration/metabolism), but larvae were smaller and more asymmetric, meaning acidification and warming had additive effects. Thus, climate change is expected to decrease the abundance of this important herbivore, exacerbating macroalgal growth and dominance on coral reefs.

DOI

10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.02.018

Volume

141

First Page

70

Last Page

78

Comments

©2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Additional Comments

NSU President's Faculty Research and Development grant #: 335412

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