Sea urchin development in a global change hotspot, potential for southerly migration of thermotolerant propagules

The distribution of the sea urchin Heliocidaris erythrogramma coincides with the southeast Australia global change hot spot where marine ecosystems are warming significantly due to changes in ocean circulation. To address questions on future vulnerabilities, the thermotolerance of the planktonic life phase of H. erythrogramma was investigated in the climate and regionally relevant setting of projected near-future (2100) ocean warming. Experimental treatments ranged from 18 to 26 °C, with 26 °C representing +3-4 °C above recent ambient sea-surface temperatures. Developmental success across all stages (gastrula, 24 h; larva, 72 h; juvenile, 120 h) decreased with increasing temperature. Development was tolerant to a +1-2 °C increase above ambient, but significant deleterious effects were evident at +3-4 °C. However, larvae that developed through the early bottleneck of normal development at 26 °C metamorphosed successfully. The inverse relationship between temperature and planktonic larval duration (PLD) was seen in a 25% decrease in the PLD of H. erythrogramma at 24 and 26^oC. Ocean warming may be advantageous to a subset of larvae through early settlement and reduction of the vulnerable planktonic period. This positive effect of temperature may help buffer the negative effects of ocean warming. In parallel studies with progeny derived from northern (Coffs Harbour) and southern (Sydney) H. erythrogramma, northern embryos had significantly higher thermotolerance. This provides the possibility that H. erythrogramma populations might keep up with a warming world through poleward migration of thermotolerant propagules, facilitated by the strong southward flow of the East Australian Current. It is uncertain whether H. erythrogramma populations at the northern range of this species, with no source of immigrants, will have the capacity to persist in a warm ocean. Due to its extensive latitudinal distribution, its potential developmental thermotolerance and independence of its lecithotrophic larvae from exogenous food and the need to make a functional skeleton, H. erythrogramma may be particularly robust to ocean change.     

Uncoupled transport of chlorofluorocarbons and anthropogenic carbon in the subpolar North Atlantic

Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) 11 and 12 transports across the transoceanic World Ocean Circulation Experiment (WOCE) A25 section in the subpolar North Atlantic are derived from an inverse model using hydrographic and ADCP data (Lherminier et al., 2007). CFC and anthropogenic carbon (C_ANT) advective transports contrary to expected are uncoupled: C_ANT is transported northeastwards (82±39 kmol s^?1) mainly within the overturning circulation, while CFC-11 and CFC-12 are transported southwestwards (?24±4 and ?11±2 mol s^?1, respectively) as part of the large-scale horizontal circulation. The main reason for this uncoupled behaviour is the complex CFC vs. C_ANT relation in the ocean, which stems from the contrasting temperature relation for both tracers: more C_ANT dissolves in warmer waters with a low Revelle factor, while CFC’s solubility is higher in cold waters. These results point to C_ANT and CFC having different routes of uptake, accumulation and transport within the ocean, and hence: C_ANT transport would be more sensitive to changes in the overturning circulation strength, while CFC to changes in the East Greenland Current and Labrador Sea Water formation in the Irminger Sea. Additionally, C_ANT and CFCs would have different sensitivities to circulation and climate changes derived from global warming as the slowdown of the overturning circulation, increase stratification due to warming and changes in wind stress.     

Relative influences of ocean acidification and temperature on intertidal barnacle post-larvae at the northern edge of their geographic distribution

The Arctic Ocean and its associated ecosystems face numerous challenges over the coming century. Increasing atmospheric CO₂ is causing increasing warming and ice melting as well as a concomitant change in ocean chemistry (“ocean acidification”). As temperature increases it is expected that many temperate species will expand their geographic distribution northwards to follow this thermal shift; however with the addition of ocean acidification this transition may not be so straightforward. Here we investigate the potential impacts of ocean acidification and climate change on populations of an intertidal species, in this case the barnacle Semibalanus balanoides, at the northern edge of its range. Growth and development of metamorphosing post-larvae were negatively impacted at lower pH (pH 7.7) compared to the control (pH 8.1) but were not affected by elevated temperature (+4 °C). The mineral composition of the shells did not alter under any of the treatments. The combination of reduced growth and maintained mineral content suggests that there may have been a change in the energetic balance of the exposed animals. In undersaturated conditions more mineral is expected to dissolve from the shell and hence more energy would be required to maintain the mineral integrity. Any energy that would normally be invested into growth could be reallocated and hence organisms growing in lowered pH grow slower and end up smaller than individuals grown in higher pH conditions. The idea of reallocation of resources under different conditions of pH requires further investigation. However, there could be long-term implications on the fitness of these barnacles, which in turn may prevent them from successfully colonising new areas.     

High short-term variability of CO2 fluxes during an upwelling event off the Chilean coast at 30°S

pH and alkalinity measurements from a coastal upwelling area located near 30°S (Coquimbo, Chile), are used to describe the short-term variations of CO₂ air–sea exchanges over a period of one week in summer 1996. A 180 km ocean–coastal transect, together with two almost-synoptic grid surveys off Coquimbo covering approximate 2500 km² each, showed that during and immediately after a 4 day long southwesterly wind event (24–28 January) a large area of cold surface water (≈14°C), highly supersaturated in CO₂ (fCO₂ up to 900 μatm), was located near the coast. Three days after the end of the event, the second grid survey showed that in most of the study area the surface temperature and pH had increased significantly (by 1–3°C and 0.05–0.2, respectively), and that the surface water was no longer supersaturated in CO₂. The CO₂-supersaturated water observed in the first grid survey was identified as upwelled subsurface equatorial water, a water mass with its core at about 200 m depth: the depth from which the water upwells is a major determinant of the surface water fCO₂. Integrated C fluxes within a 20 km wide coastal strip (1900 km²) indicate a strong outgassing of CO₂ from the ocean under upwelling conditions (Grid 1; 121 t C day^-1), while the net C exchange was directed to the ocean during the relaxation period (Grid 2; 19 t C day^-1). Estimates of CO₂ fluxes in upwelling areas based on surface water fCO₂ measurements must therefore take into account these short-term variations: reliance on longer-term averages and interpolation will lead to erroneous results.     

潮汐对瞬态气候响应模拟的影响研究

In this study, the impact of oceanic processes on the sensitivity of transient climate change is investigated using two sets of coupled experiments with and without tidal forcing, which are termed Exp_Tide and Exp_Control,respectively. After introducing tidal forcing, the transient climate response(TCR) decreases from 2.32 K to 1.90 K,and the surface air temperature warming at high latitudes decreases by 29%. Large ocean heat uptake efficiency and heat storage can explain the low TCR in Exp_Tide. Approximately 21% more heat is stored in the ocean in Exp_Tide(1.10×10~(24) J) than in Exp_Control(0.91×10~(24) J). Most of the large ocean warming occurs in the upper 1 000 m between 60°S and 60°N, primarily in the Atlantic and Southern Oceans. This ocean warming is closely related to the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation(AMOC). The initial transport at mid-and high latitudes and the decline in the AMOC observed in Exp_Tide are both larger than those observed in Exp_Control. The spatial structures of AMOC are also different with and without tidal forcing in present experiments. The AMOC in Exp_Tide has a large northward extension. We also investigated the relationship between AMOC and TCR suggested by previous studies using the present experiments.     

Critical thermal maxima of common rocky intertidal fish and shrimps — A preliminary assessment

Rocky shore ecosystems are considered sentinels of climate warming because they are in close contact with the atmosphere and their shallow waters present low thermal inertia. Concerns on the vulnerability of rocky shore species subject to climate warming make the investigation of their thermal tolerance an urgent topic. The aim of this study was to determine the upper thermal limits of species that are common in tidal pools of rocky shore ecosystems of the Northeast Atlantic. The method used was the Critical Thermal Maximum (CTMax), which allowed the ranking of species in terms of their upper thermal limits as follows: Coryphoblennius galerita (32.0 °C), Palaemon serratus (33.0 °C), Gobius paganellus (33.1 °C), Palaemon elegans (33.4 °C), Lipophrys pholis (33.9 °C) and Paralipophrys trigloides (35.0 °C). Intraspecific variability was always lower than 2%.     

Antipodal acoustic thermometry: 1960, 2004

On 21 March 1960, sounds from three 300-lb depth charges deployed at 5.5-min intervals off Perth, Australia were recorded by the SOFAR station at Bermuda. The recorded travel time of these signals, about 13,375 s, is a historical measure of the ocean temperature averaged across several ocean basins. The 1960 travel time measurement has about 3-s precision. High-resolution global ocean state estimates for 2004 from the “Estimating the Circulation and Climate of the Ocean, Phase II” (ECCO2) project were combined with ray tracing to determine the paths followed by the acoustic signals. The acoustic paths are refracted geodesics that are slightly deflected by either small-scale topographic features in the Southern Ocean or the coast of Brazil. The refractive influences of intense, small-scale oceanographic features, such as Agulhas Rings or eddies in the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, greatly reduce the necessary topographic deflection and cause the acoustic paths to meander in time. The ECCO2 ocean state estimates, which are constrained by model dynamics and available data, were used to compute present-day travel times. Measured and computed arrival coda were in good agreement. Based on recent estimates of warming of the upper ocean, the travel-time change over the past half-century was nominally expected to be about −9 s, but little difference between measured (1960) and computed (2004) travel times was found. Taking into account uncertainties in the 1960 measurements, the 2004 ocean state estimates, and other approximations, the ocean temperature averaged along the sound channel axis over the antipodal paths has warmed at a rate less than about 4.6 m °C yr⁻¹ (95% confidence). At this time, the estimated uncertainties are comparable in size to the expected warming signal, however.     

Effects of ocean acidification and high temperatures on the bryozoan Myriapora truncata at natural CO2 vents

There are serious concerns that ocean acidification will combine with the effects of global warming to cause major shifts in marine ecosystems, but there is a lack of field data on the combined ecological effects of these changes due to the difficulty of creating large‐scale, long‐term exposures to elevated CO₂ and temperature. Here we report the first coastal transplant experiment designed to investigate the effects of naturally acidified seawater on the rates of net calcification and dissolution of the branched calcitic bryozoan Myriapora truncata (Pallas, 1766). Colonies were transplanted to normal (pH 8.1), high (mean pH 7.66, minimum value 7.33) and extremely high CO₂ conditions (mean pH 7.43, minimum value 6.83) at gas vents off Ischia Island (Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy). The net calcification rates of live colonies and the dissolution rates of dead colonies were estimated by weighing after 45 days (May–June 2008) and after 128 days (July–October) to examine the hypothesis that high CO₂ levels affect bryozoan growth and survival differently during moderate and warm water conditions. In the first observation period, seawater temperatures ranged from 19 to 24 °C; dead M. truncata colonies dissolved at high CO₂ levels (pH 7.66), whereas live specimens maintained the same net calcification rate as those growing at normal pH. In extremely high CO₂ conditions (mean pH 7.43), the live bryozoans calcified significantly less than those at normal pH. Therefore, established colonies of M. truncata seem well able to withstand the levels of ocean acidification predicted in the next 200 years, possibly because the soft tissues protect the skeleton from an external decrease in pH. However, during the second period of observation a prolonged period of high seawater temperatures (25–28 °C) halted calcification both in controls and at high CO₂, and all transplants died when high temperatures were combined with extremely high CO₂ levels. Clearly, attempts to predict the future response of organisms to ocean acidification need to consider the effects of concurrent changes such as the Mediterranean trend for increased summer temperatures in surface waters. Although M. truncata was resilient to short‐term exposure to high levels of ocean acidification at normal temperatures, our field transplants showed that its ability to calcify at higher temperatures was compromised, adding it to the growing list of species now potentially threatened by global warming.     

Response of subsurface waters in the eastern Arabian Sea to tropical cyclones

Thermister chain data at different depths for June 1998 cyclone in the Arabian Sea at a location (69.2 E,15.5 N) which is about 60 km to the left of the cyclone track indicates subsurface warming below 60 m and inertial oscillations of temperature with a periodicity of about 2 days. The oscillations continued for ∼15 days even after the cyclone crossed the coast. The analysis of the buoy, DS1 located at the same position also suggests a stabilized southward flow after about two weeks of the cyclone crossed the coast. Analysis of the buoy data for May 1999 cyclone in the same region also indicates similar pattern. In order to investigate the effect of cyclone–ocean interaction and primarily to understand the process for the subsurface warming, 3-dimensional Princeton Ocean Model is configured for the eastern part of the Arabian Sea. The model uses high horizontal resolution of about 6 km near the coast and a terrain following sigma coordinate in the vertical with 26 levels. The study focuses on surface cooling and temperature rise in the underlying waters and explains its mechanism through upwelling and downwelling respectively. The simulations in concurrence with the observations suggest that the occurrence of subsurface warming precedes the surface cooling with a lag of ˜a day as the cyclone advances DS1. The simulations also demonstrate local temperature stratification plays an important role for cooling of the upper ocean and warming of the subsurface waters and extent of warming is directly related to the depth of the thermocline.     

Megalodicopia hians in the Monterey submarine canyon: Distribution,larval development,and culture

The exclusively deep-sea ascidian family Octacnemidae comprises several genera in which the oral siphon has hypertrophied to form two large lips which create an “oral hood” capable of capturing motile prey. Megalodicopia hians is typical of this carnivorous family and has been reported to prey upon small epibenthic crustaceans. Distribution of M. hians in the Monterey Canyon system (36°45′N, 122°00′W) (California) was determined with remotely operated vehicles. M. hians was found sparsely to depths of at least 3800 m throughout the canyon; however, abundance was greatest within the oxygen-minimum zone (400–800 m). Eggs, sperm, and recently fertilized embryos were obtained repeatedly from adults returned to the laboratory in vivo, indicating that this species free-spawns routinely. Overall egg diameter (ovum plus chorion, plus follicle cells) was 175–190 μm—considerably smaller than previously reported for this species. Embryonic development at temperature and oxygen concentrations equivalent to the oxygen-minimum zone was 2–4 d and, embryos gave rise to typical phlebobranch “simple” tadpole larvae. Larval period was extremely variable, and settlement/metamorphosis occurred up to 3 months post-hatching. These results are discussed within the context of settlement-site selection and fertilization ecology of the species.     

Response of three krill species to hypoxia and warming: an experimental approach to oxygen minimum zones expansion in coastal ecosystems

To understand the adaptation of euphausiid (krill) species to oxygen minimum zones (OMZs), respiratory response and stress experiments combining hypoxia‐reoxygenation exposure with warming were conducted. Experimental krill species were obtained from the Antarctic (South Georgia area), the Humboldt Current System (HCS, Chilean coast) and the Northern California Current System (NCCS, Oregon). Euphausia mucronata from the HCS showed oxyconforming pO₂‐dependent respiration below 80% air saturation (18 kPa). Normoxic subsurface oxygenation in winter posed a ‘high oxygen stress’ for this species. The NCCS krill, Euphausia pacifica, and the Antarctic krill, Euphausia superba, maintained respiration rates constant down to low critical pO₂ values of 6 kPa (30% air saturation) and 11 kPa (55% air saturation), respectively. Antarctic krill had low antioxidant enzyme activities, but high concentrations of the molecular antioxidant glutathione (GSH) and was not lethally affected by 6 h exposure to moderate hypoxia. The temperate krill species (E. pacifica) had higher superoxide dismutase (SOD) values in winter than in summer, which relates to a higher winter metabolic rate. In all species, antioxidant enzyme activities remained constant during hypoxic exposure at the typical temperature for their habitat. Warming by 7 °C above habitat temperature in summer increased SOD activities and GSH levels in E. mucronata (HCS), but no oxidative damage occurred. In winter, when the NCCS is well mixed and the OMZ is deeper, +4 °C of warming combined with hypoxia represents a lethal condition for E. pacifica. In summer, when the OMZ expands upwards (100 m subsurface), antioxidant defences counteracted hypoxia and reoxygenation effects in E. pacifica, but only at mildly elevated temperature (+2 °C). In this season, experimental warming by +4 °C reduced antioxidant activities and the combination of warming with hypoxia again caused mortality of exposed specimens. We conclude that a climate change scenario combining warming and hypoxia represents a serious threat to E. pacifica and, as a consequence, NCCS food webs.     

Does thermal history influence the tolerance of temperate gorgonians to future warming?

To date, several studies have provided evidence that thermal stress affects the growth, survival and physiology of tropical and temperate macroinvertebrate species. However, few studies have focused on subtidal temperate species and the potential differential thermal tolerances of populations dwelling under contrasting temperature conditions. To assess the role that environmental history has on the response of the temperate gorgonian Eunicella singularis to thermal stress, we compared populations dwelling in the coldest and warmest areas of the NW Mediterranean Sea. Our results show that E. singularis populations from both areas exhibited a high resistance to thermal stress; however, populations from warmer areas had an increased tolerance to thermal stress. Specifically, the upper thermal limits found for cold and warm populations were 28 and 29 °C, respectively. The higher resistance of E. singularis colonies to thermal stress found in this study compared to the field temperature conditions during recent mass mortality events highlights that performing further thermotolerance experiments under contrasting levels of feeding is necessary to fully assess the tolerance thresholds displayed by both study populations. To our knowledge, this study provides the first evidence for the role of thermal history in shaping the thermotolerance responses of Mediterranean marine invertebrates dwelling under contrasting temperature environments.     

Investigation of Arctic air temperature extremes at north of 60°N in winter

Air temperature is a key index reflecting climate change. Air temperature extremes are very important because they strongly influence the natural environment and societal activities. The Arctic air temperature extremes north of 60°N are investigated in the winter. Daily data from 238 stations at north of 60°N from the global summary of the day for the period 1979–2015 are used to study the trends of cold days, cold nights, warm days and warm nights during the wintertime. The results show a decreasing trend of cold days and nights(rate of –0.2 to –0.3 d/a) and an increasing trend of warm days and nights(rate of +0.2 to +0.3 d/a) in the Arctic. The mean temperature increases,which contributes to the increasing(decreasing) occurrence of warm(cold) days and nights. On the other hand,the variance at most stations decreased, leading to a reduced number of cold events. A positive AO(Arctic Oscillation) index leads to an increased(decreased) number of warm(cold) days and nights over northern Europe and western Russia and an increased(decreased) number of cold(warm) days and nights over the Bering Strait and Greenland. The lower extent of Arctic autumn sea ice leads to a decreased number of cold days and nights.The occurrences of abrupt changes are detected using the Mann-Kendall method for cold nights occurring in Canada in 1998 and for warm nights occurring in northwestern Eurasia in 1988. This abrupt change mainly resulted from the mean warming induced by south winds and an increased North Atlantic sea surface temperature.     

Biogeographic variability in the physiological response of the cold‐water coral Lophelia pertusa to ocean acidification

While ocean acidification is a global issue, the severity of ecosystem effects is likely to vary considerably at regional scales. The lack of understanding of how biogeographically separated populations will respond to acidification hampers our ability to predict the future of vital ecosystems. Cold‐water corals are important drivers of biodiversity in ocean basins across the world and are considered one of the most vulnerable ecosystems to ocean acidification. We tested the short‐term physiological response of the cold‐water coral Lophelia pertusa to three pH treatments (pH = 7.9, 7.75 and 7.6) for Gulf of Mexico (USA) and Tisler Reef (Norway) populations, and found that reductions in seawater pH elicited contrasting responses. Gulf of Mexico corals exhibited reductions in net calcification, respiration and prey capture rates with decreasing pH. In contrast, Tisler Reef corals showed only slight reductions in net calcification rates under decreased pH conditions while significantly elevating respiration and capture rates. These differences are likely the result of environmental differences (depth, pH, food supply) between the two regions, invoking the potential for local adaptation or acclimatization to alter their response to global change. However, it is also possible that variations in the methodology used in the experiments contributed to the observed differences. Regardless, these results provide insights into the resilience of L. pertusa to ocean acidification as well as the potential influence of regional differences on the viability of species in future oceans.     

Warming of intermediate water in the sea of Okhotsk since the 1950s

Okhotsk Sea Intermediate Water (OSIW), the source water for ventilation of North Pacific Intermediate Water, exhibits a multidecadal warming trend. Historical data show that OSIW temperatures increased by 0.28, 0.57, 0.31 and 0.10°C during 1955 to 2003 at potential densities of 26.8, 27.0, 27.2 and 27.4σ _θ , at depths of approximately 250, 500, 700 and 900 m, respectively. This rate of warming is much faster than that of the global ocean. This OSIW warming is likely linked to the reduced ventilation of cold Dense Shelf Water associated with brine rejection during sea ice formation.     

Note on the CO2 air–sea gas exchange at high temperatures

The temperature dependency of ocean–atmosphere gas transfer velocities is commonly estimated in terms of Schmidt numbers, i.e. the ratio of kinematic viscosity to diffusivity. In numerical models least square regressions are used to fit the limited number of experimentally derived Schmidt numbers to a function of temperature. For CO₂ a well established fit can be found in the literature. This fit constitutes an integral part in standardized carbon cycle simulation projects (e.g. C4MIP, OC4MIP, Friedlingstein et al., 2006). However, the fit is valid only in the range where diffusivity measurements exist, i.e., from 0 to about 30 °C. In many climate warming simulations like e.g. the MPI contribution to the fourth Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Assessment Report (IPCC AR 4), sea surface temperatures largely exceed the validated range and approach or even reach the range, where the standard fits leave the physically meaningful range. Thus, this paper underlines the demand for new measurements of seawater diffusivities for CO₂ and other trace gases especially for the temperature range >30 °C.In this paper we provide improved fits for the temperature dependence of the Schmidt number. For carbon dioxide our fit is compared to the established fit under identical climate change simulations carried out with the 3D-carbon cycle model HAMOCC. We find that in many tropical and subtropical high temperature regions the established fit leads to unrealistically short adaption times of the surface water pCO₂ to altered atmospheric pCO₂. In regions where the local oceanic pCO₂ is not primarily controlled by the atmospheric boundary pCO₂ but by other processes such as biological activity, the atmosphere ocean pCO₂ gradient is clearly underestimated when using the established fit. The effect on global oceanic carbon uptake in a greenhouse world is rather small and the potential climate feedback introduced by this bias seems to be negligible. However, the bias will clearly gain in significance the more regions warm up to over 30 °C. On a regional scale, especially in coastal regions at low latitudes, the effect is not negligible and a different steady state is approached.     

北太平洋副热带东部模态水现在和未来的模拟分析

The present climate simulation and future projection of the Eastern Subtropical Mode Water(ESTMW) in the North Pacific are investigated based on the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory Earth System Model(GFDL-ESM2M). Spatial patterns of the mixed layer depth(MLD) in the eastern subtropical North Pacific and the ESTMW are well simulated using this model. Compared with historical simulation, the ESTMW is produced at lighter isopycnal surfaces and its total volume is decreased in the RCP8.5 runs, because the subduction rate of the ESTMW decreases by 0.82×10-6 m/s during February–March. In addition, it is found that the lateral induction decreasing is approximately four times more than the Ekman pumping, and thus it plays a dominant role in the decreased subduction rate associated with global warming. Moreover, the MLD during February–March is banded shoaling in response to global warming, extending northeastward from the east of the Hawaii Islands(20°N, 155°W) to the west coast of North America(30°N, 125°W), with a maximum shoaling of 50 m, and then leads to the lateral induction reduction. Meanwhile, the increased northeastward surface warm current to the east of Hawaii helps strengthen of the local upper ocean stratification and induces the banded shoaling MLD under warmer climate. This new finding indicates that the ocean surface currents play an important role in the response of the MLD and the ESTMW to global warming.     

Interactive effects of pH and temperature on native and alien mussels from the west coast of South Africa

Global warming and ocean acidification influence marine calcifying organisms, particularly those with external shells. Among these, mussels may compensate for environmental changes by phenotypic plasticity, but this may entail trade-offs between shell deposition, growth and reproduction. We assessed main and interactive effects of pH and temperature on four mussel species on the west coast of South Africa (33°48′ S, 18°27′ E) in October 2012 by comparing shell dissolution, shell growth, shell breaking force and condition index of two native species, the ribbed mussel Aulacomya atra and the black mussel Choromytilus meridionalis, and two aliens, the Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis and the bisexual mussel Semimytilus algosus. Live mussels and dead shells were exposed for 42 days to seawater of pH 7.5 or 8.0, at 14 °C or 20 °C. Low pH, high temperature and their combination increased shell dissolution of the two aliens but their growth rates and condition indices remained unchanged. Aulacomya atra also experienced greater shell dissolution at a low pH and high temperature, but grew faster in low-pH treatments. For C. meridionalis, shell dissolution was unaffected by pH or temperature; it also grew faster in low-pH treatments, but had a lower condition index in the higher temperature treatment. Shell strength was not determined by thickness alone. In most respects, all four species proved to be robust to short-term reduction of pH and elevation of temperature, but the native species compensated for greater shell dissolution at low pH by increasing growth rate, whereas the aliens did not, so their invasive success cannot be ascribed to benefits accruing from climate change.     

Fish settlement in the ocean vs. estuary: Comparison of pelagic larval and settled juvenile composition and abundance from southern New Jersey,U.S.A.

To describe the larval and juvenile fish fauna and to evaluate the relative contribution of the ocean and the estuary as settlement areas for benthic species, we compared the composition and abundance of larval fish supply to that of recently settled juvenile fishes in both ocean and an adjacent estuary habitats in southern New Jersey. The study was conducted from May to November 1992 in the Great Bay–Little Egg Harbor estuary (<1–8 m sampling depth) and on the adjacent inner continental shelf in the vicinity of Beach Haven Ridge (8–16 m). During the study more larvae nearing settlement (postflexion) were captured in the estuary than in the ocean. Settlement occurred earlier in the estuary than in the ocean perhaps under the influence of earlier, seasonal warming of estuarine waters. There appeared to be two spatial patterns of settlement in the study area based on the dominant species (n = 17) represented by a sufficient number of individuals (n ≥ 25 individuals). There were species that primarily settle in the estuary, as represented by both estuarine residents (n = 3) and transients (n = 4), and those that settle in both the estuary and the ocean (n = 10). However, there were no species whose larvae were present in the estuary yet settle in the ocean. The fact that many of the species settle in both the estuary and the ocean indicates an overlap between these habitats because, at least for some species, these habitats may function in the same way. Further resolution of fish settlement patterns, and its influence on recruitment will need to rely on synoptic comparisons between estuaries and the ocean over multiple years.     

Global change ecotoxicology: Identification of early life history bottlenecks in marine invertebrates,variable species responses and variable experimental approaches

Climate change is a threat to marine biota because increased atmospheric CO₂ is causing ocean warming, acidification, hypercapnia and decreased carbonate saturation. These stressors have toxic effects on invertebrate development. The persistence and success of populations requires all ontogenetic stages be completed successfully and, due to their sensitivity to environmental stressors, developmental stages may be a population bottleneck in a changing ocean. Global change ecotoxicology is being used to identify the marine invertebrate developmental stages vulnerable to climate change. This overview of research, and the methodologies used, shows that most studies focus on acidification, with few studies on ocean warming, despite a long history of research on developmental thermotolerance. The interactive effects of stressors are poorly studied. Experimental approaches differ among studies. Fertilization in many species exhibits a broad tolerance to warming and/or acidification, although different methodologies confound inter-study comparisons. Early development is susceptible to warming and most calcifying larvae are sensitive to acidification/increased pCO₂. In multistressor studies moderate warming diminishes the negative impact of acidification on calcification in some species. Development of non-calcifying larvae appears resilient to near-future ocean change. Although differences in species sensitivities to ocean change stressors undoubtedly reflect different tolerance levels, inconsistent handling of gametes, embryos and larvae probably influences different research outcomes. Due to the integrative ‘developmental domino effect’, life history responses will be influenced by the ontogenetic stage at which experimental incubations are initiated. Exposure to climate change stressors from early development (fertilization where possible) in multistressor experiments is needed to identify ontogenetic sensitivities and this will be facilitated by more consistent methodologies.