Ocean acidification impacts various marine species, including bivalves, fish, and pteropods.

Ocean acidification occurs due to increased atmospheric carbon dioxide, dissolving calcium carbonate shells and skeletons.

Ocean acidification affects fish behavior, making them easier prey and altering their migration patterns.

Ocean acidification can have cascading effects on ecosystems through pteropod decline, impacting food webs and the carbon cycle.

Pteropods play a crucial role in the ocean ecosystem, and their decline can significantly impact the food web.

Ocean acidification indirectly affects cephalopod physiology and alters marine life behavior.

Cephalopods, like squid, exhibit complex behaviors, including ink use, that may be impacted by ocean acidification.

Squid can change color to hide and adapt, an ability that may be influenced by ocean acidification.

Ocean warming affects octopus vision, causing blurred vision and reduced protein production due to heat stress.

Ocean warming reduces octopus egg spawning, makes them smaller, and alters their species distribution, impacting the marine ecosystem.

Ocean acidification compromises marine habitats and the entire ecosystem, including marine mammals.

Warmer seawater alters fish distribution, affecting marine mammal prey.

Ocean acidification harms pteropods, a crucial food source for some marine mammals.

Rising global CO2 concentrations from 320 ppm to 420 ppm drive ocean acidification, impacting marine ecosystems and mammals.

Ocean acidification impacts marine ecosystems, including important prey species for marine mammals.

Ocean acidification can impact marine mammal populations by altering the ocean resources they rely on.

Elephant seal reproduction is impacted by changes in prey availability due to ocean acidification.

Ocean acidification significantly impacts marine life, including cephalopods, affecting their physiology, behavior, and survival.

Ocean acidification impacts various marine species, including bivalves, fish, and pteropods.

Title:

Content: There were 1,862 press releases posted in the last 24 hours and 393,697 in the last 365 days.

Utilizing biogeochemical and genetic tools to understand and support clam populations in a changing ocean

Marine bivalves are at risk due to anthropogenic climate change. This poses a threat to commercial aquaculture, and the communities that depend on bivalves for food security. Ocean acidification, the lowering of seawater pH, is of particular concern for marine calcifiers, including bivalves. Ocean acidification occurs as carbon dioxide enters the atmosphere at a rate faster than natural geologic processes can buffer. It is energetically costly for marine calcifiers like clams, mussels, and oysters, to mineralize under acidic conditions, and low pH leads to the dissolution of calcium carbonate shells and skeletons. This problem warrants research on acidification adaptation strategies that will keep coastal populations healthy. Adding calcium carbonate shell hash to coastal sediments may mitigate negative effects of acidification on infaunal shellfish by altering the chemistry of pore fluids, thus providing a potential mitigation strategy for local populations, including species like the Pacific littleneck clam (Leukoma staminea).

Here, I present the first in-depth description of the shell mineralogy, microstructure, body size variability, and geochemical properties of modern L. staminea, a common eastern Pacific, shallow, infaunal bivalve. Additionally, I document the impact of ocean acidification on the shell growth and gene expression of L. staminea, and test whether adding shell hash to its infaunal environement can promote growth under acidified conditions. Juvenile clams were raised in four experimental conditions for 90 days: control seawater, acidified seawater, control seawater with shell hash, and acidified seawater with shell hash. Clam shell weight, soft tissue weight, and new shell growth were measured. The presence of shell hash increased the pH, alkalinity and aragonite saturation state of pore fluids across all treatments, and increased shell growth on average, although growth metrics were variable across and within treatments. Lastly, RNA-sequencing revealed the impacts of experimental acidification on juvenile clam gene expression. Clams grown in the presence of shell hash had gene expression profiles more similar to those grown in control (non-acidified) conditions. In all, this research suggests that adding shell hash to coastal sediments alters the chemistry of pore fluids and buffers against acidic conditions that deleteriously affects clam mineralization.

Kempf H., 2024. Utilizing biogeochemical and genetic tools to understand and support clam populations in a changing ocean. PhD Thesis, University of California, Davis. 33 p. Thesis (restricted access).

Like this:

Like Loading...

Related

How do scientists expect ocean acidification to impact specific fish species?

How does coastal ocean acidification affect shellfish?

How does elevated water acidity affect fish ability to survive?

Which marine organism is vulnerable to increased levels of ocean acidification?

Which ocean creatures have trouble forming shells due to ocean acidification?

Ocean acidification occurs due to increased atmospheric carbon dioxide, dissolving calcium carbonate shells and skeletons.

What factors lead to damage of coral reefs?

What is the main cause of ocean acidification?

water absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere

Ocean acidification affects fish behavior, making them easier prey and altering their migration patterns.

Title:

Content: Fish are becoming more suicidal due to climate change.
Archival Image
A recent scientific study revealed serious risks to fish stocks in various seas and oceans around the world, as a result of climate changes, where greenhouse gas emissions lead to increased acidity of water, prompting fish to commit suicide, attracted to large predatory fish.
The study, conducted by a team of researchers at James Cook University in Australia, aims to assess the impact of greenhouse gases that cause climate change on the coral reef area off the coast of Papua New Guinea, in the southwest Pacific Ocean, where the region is witnessing volcanic activity.
The results of the study showed that the high rate of acidity in the ocean waters, as a result of the escalation of carbon dioxide from repeated volcanic activities below the depths, leads to the loss of species of fish, on which fishing activity depends, their ability to survive, making them easy prey for other predatory species.
The study, published on the site « Nature Climate Change », that fish in general can smell the smell of large predatory species, which helps them to get off track, but surprise that in the area under study, it turns out that fish are attracted to the smell of predatory species, making them easy prey.
Lead researcher Professor Philippe Mendai said the acidity effect of the water has also been shown to cause fish to wander aimlessly into the water and go to areas far from where they live, putting them at risk, where they are more likely to be attacked by predatory fish.
The main author of the study pointed out that these threats to fish are not limited to volcanic activities, noting that about 30% of the carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere are absorbed by water bodies, leading to increased acidity of the seas and oceans.
The researchers also warned that the acidity levels in the coral reef area in question have reached very high levels and are expected to spread to other areas, and may include the entire Pacific Ocean by the end of this century, as the phenomenon of climate change worsens.
The study concluded that fish that live for long periods of life exposed to high levels of carbon dioxide, could not cope with the changes caused by high acidity in the water, as a result of exposure to high levels of carbon emissions permanently.
Source: News Today
You may also like...
Add this news to your site:
Copy the code at the top and paste it on your page, blog or site
Fish are becoming more suicidal due to climate change.
Be the first to comment on this news now!
Write your comment
Your name...
Email Address:
Your email will not be shown with comment
PASSWORD
61465.
Please enter the number that appears in front of you in the field of the PIN
Sign up for ArabNet 5 Newsletter
Within 30 days
Within 7 days
TODAY
Galileo Site Manager - Galileo Site Manager ®

How do scientists expect ocean acidification to impact specific fish species?

it will alter their key behaviors
it will affect their survival

How does elevated water acidity affect fish ability to survive?

fish becomes easy prey for other predators

Ocean acidification can have cascading effects on ecosystems through pteropod decline, impacting food webs and the carbon cycle.

Title:

Content: Newswise — When carbon dioxide (CO2) enters the oceans, it can make the water more acidic, which is called ocean acidification. This can make it harder for some ocean creatures, like pteropods, to build and keep their shells. Pteropods are important for the ocean environment.

Pteropods are small sea creatures, including shelled sea butterflies. Not much is known about them because of their size, and they don't survive well in captivity. A team of marine scientists studied the life cycles, abundance, and seasonal changes of shelled sea butterflies in the north-east Scotia Sea, where climate change is happening quickly.

Dr Clara Manno, a researcher at the British Antarctic Survey and the corresponding author of the study published in Frontiers in Marine Science, said that the decrease in pteropod populations in the Antarctic Ocean could have significant consequences for the food web and carbon cycle. She also said that understanding the life cycle of this important organism could help to predict the impact of ocean acidification on the Antarctic ecosystem.

Population stability essential for species survival

To study the life cycle, abundance, and seasonal variability of shelled sea butterflies in the north-east Scotia Sea, a team of marine scientists collected sea butterflies in a sediment trap, a sampling device that was anchored at a depth of 400 meters. Since observing the entire life cycle of sea butterflies in a laboratory setting is impossible, the researchers had to gather information about their spawning, growth rate, and population structure. They were able to reconstruct the sea butterflies' life cycle for a year using the samples from the sediment trap.

The scientists found that the two most commonly collected species, Limacina rangii and Limacina retroversa, have different life cycles and therefore have different levels of vulnerability to changes in the ocean. During the winter months, L. rangii, which is a polar species, can be found as both adults and juveniles, while L. retroversa, a subpolar species, is only found as adults during the winter.

Sea butterflies that exist during the coldest season are more vulnerable to increased levels of ocean acidification. This is because ocean water is more acidic during this season than during other times of the year due to cooler temperatures that increase CO2 dissolution in the ocean. The researchers explained that the life stages of sea butterflies during this time are more exposed and vulnerable to the effects of ocean acidification.

L. rangii has a survival advantage over L. retroversa because both adults and juveniles coexist during winter, which reduces the risk of population instability if one cohort is vulnerable. In contrast, if one cohort is removed from L. retroversa, the entire population could be at risk.

Prolonged exposure is a survival challenge

The researchers pointed out that although the two species are affected differently, both are likely to suffer harm if they are exposed to unfavorable conditions for prolonged periods.

The scientists cautioned that the intensifying and prolonged events of ocean acidification overlap with the spring spawning period, posing a threat to the most vulnerable life stage, the larvae. This could endanger the future populations of sea butterflies.

The research team plans to further study the sea butterflies in the Scotia Sea to see how they would be affected by the increase in the intensity and duration of ocean acidification events. They will study multiyear sediment trap samples to identify potential changes in the life cycle that may occur due to environmental changes. Dr Jessie Gardner of the British Antarctic Survey, lead author of the study, said this will be the next step in their research.

Journal Link: Frontiers in Marine Science

Which marine organism is vulnerable to increased levels of ocean acidification?

Which ocean creatures have trouble forming shells due to ocean acidification?

Pteropods play a crucial role in the ocean ecosystem, and their decline can significantly impact the food web.

Which marine organism is vulnerable to increased levels of ocean acidification?

Ocean acidification indirectly affects cephalopod physiology and alters marine life behavior.

Title:

Content: There were 1,541 press releases posted in the last 24 hours and 466,409 in the last 365 days.

The effect of total alkalinity on growth performance and calcification in juvenile Pacific abalone Haliotis discus hannai

The effect of total alkalinity on growth performance and calcification in juvenile Pacific abalone Haliotis discus hannai

Published 5 October 2023 Science Leave a Comment
Tags: biological response, calcification, dissolution, laboratory, mollusks, morphology, North Pacific, physiology

A 45-day trial was conducted to study the effect of seawater total alkalinity (TA) level up- and downregulation on the growth performance and calcification of Haliotis discus hannai Ino, while seawater pH was maintained at pHNBS = 8.1. Although seawater was not acidified, the results showed that TA downregulation caused a significant reduction (P < 0.05) in the somatic tissue growth of juvenile abalone, while TA upregulation significantly increased growth performance (P < 0.05). Similar to the impacts of pH reduction, TA downregulation also induces a decline in CO2 buffering capacity, which may be the reason why somatic tissue growth was reduced, as lowered CO2 buffering capacity was reported to shift the acid-base balancing of abalone. Parts of the periostracum layer weremissing and exposed the inner shell layers of the individuals from the TA-downregulated group. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results showed calcium carbonate densely deposited onto the inner shell in the control and TA-upregulated groups, while sparsely deposited calcium carbonate was observed in the TA-downregulated group. The C: N ratio in the shell of individuals from the TA-downregulated group was significantly lower than that of the other two groups, indicating that less inorganic carbon was added to the shell. As a result, abalone grew lighter and thinner shells in TA-downregulated seawater. Although seawater was not acidified, TA downregulation also caused a reduction in the calcium carbonate saturation state (Ω), which induced the erosion of the surface shell and the interruption of calcium carbonate generation. In conclusion, although seawater pH remained at ambient levels, the lowered CO2 buffering capacity and Ω induced by seawater TA downregulation also showed a detrimental effect on the growth and calcification of Pacific abalone. The impact of ocean acidification on the growth of abalone should not be assessed using only seawater pH and/or pCO2 but rather taking into account all of carbonate chemistry, particularly the CO2 buffering capacity. Abalone cultivation is suggested to be carried out in seawater with a higher level of CO2 buffering capacity and Ω, which can be achieved through integrated culture with seaweed or increasing the seawater TA level.

Zhang M., Li J., Jiao M., Tang Y., Li A., Liu L., Liu L., Xue S. & Mao Y., 2023. The effect of total alkalinity on growth performance and calcification in juvenile Pacific abalone Haliotis discus hannai. Marine Environmental Research 192: 106209. doi: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2023.106209. Article (subscription required).

Like this:

Like Loading...

Related

How do scientists expect ocean acidification to impact specific fish species?

it will affect their physiology and growth

Which marine organism is vulnerable to increased levels of ocean acidification?

Cephalopods, like squid, exhibit complex behaviors, including ink use, that may be impacted by ocean acidification.

Title:

Content: My channel
* Drag categories can be customized sorting
Recover Default OK
Setup
Alert
Professor of Psychology Becomes Architect Chinese-American Yu Gerehua Renews Ancient Victorian Architecture for 3 Years
Former Dutch Prime Minister and his wife, 93 years old, were euthanized.
Ink is not only a tool to save lives, but also a research has found that squid can use ink to "courtship".
When attacked by predators, squid usually sprays ink to escape.
Japanese researchers have found that ink is not only a life-saving tool for squid, but also helps them “courtship ”.
The study helps to understand how various animals communicate.
A team led by researchers at the University of Tokyo in Japan has found that male needle squid spray ink to make the surrounding background appear dark and monotonous when courtship display, so as to contrast their bright body color, making the courtship display more visually eye-catching.
The male squid has a pair of apparently long wrist feet.
When researchers observed the courtship behavior of male needle squid, they found that they repeated some courtship behavior over a long period of time and regularly, including touching the back of the female with long wrist feet and spraying out small clusters of ink.
During the climax of courtship, the male will spray ink, darken the surrounding background, and then stretch out the white body to display.
Researchers believe that the ink darkens the surrounding environment and the background becomes uniform, which makes the courtship display more conspicuous.
In addition, males have larger ink sacs than females.
Researchers believe this is because a large black background requires a lot of ink.
The act of loving with ink increases reproductive success, and to accommodate this, males evolved a relatively larger ink capsule.
According to the publication, the study found that the needle squid switched the ink used to avoid predation and used it for breeding behavior, showing that the needle squid had a higher flexibility.
The study reveals new evolutionary processes that animals use to communicate with signals, helping to understand how various animals communicate.
The research was recently published in the British journal Ecology and Evolution.
Japan
The last one.
February 11 Horoscope Aries No Tai Tai Lai Pisces Investment
Extended reading
Super-popular
More >

How do scientists expect ocean acidification to impact specific fish species?

Which marine organism is vulnerable to increased levels of ocean acidification?

Squid can change color to hide and adapt, an ability that may be influenced by ocean acidification.

Title:

Content: Go to main content
Live broadcast
Politics
Ambassador Antonov explained the need for a special operation by Kiev ’ s reluctance to stop the genocide
Mir
Izvestia presented evidence of the transfer of weapons to Ukraine by the United States in the autumn of 2021
Mir
The Pentagon admitted to the transfer of data applicable for counterattacks to Kiev
Mir
The United States has expanded restrictions on the export of some goods to Russia and Belarus
Mir
French political scientist called the attack on Kramatorsk manipulation of Kiev
Mir
Cayman Islands froze billions of dollars in connection with anti-Russian sanctions
Mir
IMF approved the creation of a special account to stabilize the economy of Kiev
Science
British scientists have developed a method to rejuvenate skin cells for 30 years
Mir
In the United States spoke about the threat to the unity of the Western coalition because of the elections in France
Politics
Russian Ambassador to the United States said about the prevention of the death of civilians in Ukraine
Economy
Economist spoke about the US-provoked crisis in Europe
Japanese scientists accidentally discovered the rare ability of squid
0
Voice-over text
Highlight the main
INCLUDING
off
Scientists know how octopuses and cuttlefish can disguise themselves as colors of the environment or soil to hide from predators.
But the specialists of the Department of Physics and Biology of the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology learned about this ability in squid in early April, who conducted a number of experiments.
“When the oval squid were in the part of the aquarium with clean water, they were light in color, but when they got into the part with algae, they became darker.
Scientists stressed that in addition to opportunities to study the new abilities of squid, the study reveals yet unknown to science adaptations for their survival, ” — reported on the website of the Institute.
According to Dr. Ryuta Nakajima, a visiting researcher, squid usually hover in the open ocean, but scientists were interested in figuring out what happens when they approach a coral reef or if they are chased by a predator on the ocean floor.
"If the ability to mimic is important for squid when encountering a predator, it indicates that increasing or decreasing squid populations is dependent on coral reef health much more than we thought," said Dr. Nakajima.
The ability of squid to change color was discovered by chance.
At the Institute ’ s Marine Science Station, researchers cleaned a tank for marine animals to remove the overgrown algae.
They noticed how the squid changed color while in purified water or hovering over the algae.
A control experiment proved that squid really can change color depending on their environment.
Earlier, researchers at Harvard University said that the increase in the temperature of the oceans increases the concentration of mercury in fish and shellfish.
Mercury is a natural chemical element that is present in air, water and soil.
For the human body, it is toxic, but this element is contained in some types of fish.
Experts have told, the use of which fish can be harmful to health.
Read also
Live broadcast

Which marine organism is vulnerable to increased levels of ocean acidification?

Ocean warming affects octopus vision, causing blurred vision and reduced protein production due to heat stress.

Title:

Content: Gazeta.Ru in Telegram
It turned out that the warming of the oceans spoils the vision of octopuses
University of Adelaide: Octopus eyes blurred due to heat stress
Australian biologists from the University of Adelaide found that the heating of the water of the oceans due to climate change negatively affects the vision of octopuses.
The study was published on the official website of the scientific institution.
"We found several proteins important for vision that are affected by heat stress.
One of them is a structural protein, which is found in large quantities in the lenses of the eyes of animals and retains the transparency and optical clarity of the lens, and the other is responsible for the regeneration of visual pigments in the photoreceptors of the eyes.
"Levels of both of these proteins have been significantly reduced in the face of projected ocean warming, suggesting that octopus vision is likely to deteriorate even further," explained Dr Kiaz Hua.
The eyes remain the main sense organ for octopuses.
In these animals, 70% of the brain is responsible for vision, which is 20% than in humans.
Scientists have also found that higher water temperatures accelerate the metabolism of octopuses, make them smaller and change the distribution area of some species of these mollusks.
In addition, the warm ocean has a negative effect on the reproduction of the octopus, reducing the number of eggs that spawn.
In some cases, entire broods remained unhatched, the researchers noted.
Earlier it became known that octopuses are the oldest animals with sex chromosomes.
What do you think?
Downloading

Ocean warming reduces octopus egg spawning, makes them smaller, and alters their species distribution, impacting the marine ecosystem.

Ocean acidification compromises marine habitats and the entire ecosystem, including marine mammals.

Title:

Content: Singapore Wants to Sell the World on Cell-Cultured Seafood

(Bloomberg) -- On Nov. 14 in Sharm El-Sheikh, representatives from nine countries sat down to dinner. It was the start of the second week of COP27, but this was no panel discussion or debate over loss and damage. The dinner, hosted by the government of Singapore alongside alternative-protein advocates, was instead a celebration of the main dish: cultivated chicken, or meat grown from animal cells in a bioreactor.

Most Read from Bloomberg

At the moment, Singapore is the only place in the world that permits the commercial sale of cultivated protein, also known as lab-grown meat, cultured meat or cell-based meat. But chicken isn’t its only focus. As climate change threatens global marine ecosystems, the city-state is also leading a charge to allow, regulate, and ultimately normalize the commercial sale of cultivated seafood. Singapore’s enthusiasm, driven by the local diet and its own reliance on food imports, is matched by that of dozens of startups around the world, all of which are exploring ways to grow cell-based oysters, lobsters, and other marine species in laboratory settings — and figuring out how to get consumers interested in eating them.

The science behind cell-based meat isn’t new — cell cultures were first used in medical research in 1907 — but it has yet to see much application for fish. Seafood is, however, a ripe space for innovation. Humans eat more than twice as much of it today as they did in 1960: Fish consumption has been rising at almost double the rate of population growth. And seafood transportation often requires long-haul airlifting, resulting in copious greenhouse-gas emissions.

The fishing industry is also among the most vulnerable to a changing climate, as ocean acidification compromises marine habitats and warmer seawater shifts the distribution pattern of fish stocks. Less than two thirds of those stocks are now within biologically sustainable levels, down from 90% in 1974, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization.

The decline in wild catches cannot be easily offset by aquaculture either, which has itself fallen victim to climate change-driven extreme weather. In July, a tropical cyclone in southern China wreaked havoc on fish farms equal in size to 22,900 football fields.

Mirte Gosker, managing director of Singapore-based nonprofit Good Food Institute Asia Pacific, says threats to the seafood supply present an obvious moment for cultivated protein. “It’s simply a smarter way to make meat,” she says. “Asian markets play a central role in this shift. Of the top 10 countries that eat the most fish, seven of them are in Asia, creating an ocean of opportunity for alternative seafood producers.”

Investors also have eyes on that opportunity: Funding for cultivated seafood companies hit $115 million in 2021, according to GFI Asia Pacific. While that’s still small potatoes compared with the $1.3 billion that went into cell-based meat overall last year, it’s double the level of funding cultivated seafood received in 2020. The sector’s startups include Singapore-based Shiok Meats (shrimp and lobster), Germany’s Bluu Seafood (salmon, trout and carp) and BluNalu in the US (tuna). Then there’s Avant Meats, a Hong Kong startup that’s spent five years perfecting the cultivated version of a sea delicacy few in the West have heard of.

At Avant’s windowless lab in Hong Kong Science Park, five scientists execute daily duties that include feeding fish cells with a culture medium containing more than 50 nutrients, counting the number of fish cells grown on different “scaffoldings” to identify the best holding structure, and cooking and sampling cell-based products in the lab’s built-in kitchen. Seafood culture is so prevalent in Hong Kong that locals named a street after it — Hoi Mei, which means “the flavor of the sea” in Cantonese — and Avant is working on a cell-cultured version of a premium ingredient in Asian cuisine.

Known as the “treasure of the sea,” fish maw — the swim bladder of a fish — is often served in soup during weddings and other special occasions. The light, white and spongy treat is prized for its medical benefits, and can cost tens of thousands of dollars per kilogram. But because fish maw is usually harvested from larger fish, Asia’s appetite for it has also exacerbated the overfishing of certain species.

To make cultivated fish maw, cells taken from croakers are placed in plastic tubes and stored in a bioreactor connected to an oxygen tank. Within weeks, those cells multiply into tissues the size of a grain of rice, at which point they’ll be ready for assembly into larger pieces. Fish maws are well suited to this part of the process — that “scaffolding” needed to recreate meat’s texture and shape is harder with complex types of tissue, like muscle and fat — but it still isn’t easy. Avant’s first fish maw prototype was texturally solid, says Co-Founder Mario Chin, but it didn’t taste right.

Cracking the science on cultivated seafood, however, is only half the battle. Singapore has pledged to produce 30% of its food locally by 2030 (versus less than 10% now), which makes cell-based meat an appealing option. But no other country allows the commercial sale of cultivated protein yet, although some are getting closer. The Netherlands this year legalized the sampling of cultivated protein, and China’s new agricultural plan for the first time includes growing meat from animal cells as one of its prioritized technologies.

Listen to author and campaigner George Monbiot on why making lab-grown food solves huge environmental problems.

In the US, the Food and Drug Administration this week issued a very preliminary green light for lab-grown meat for human consumption, although a regulatory framework is still needed and any meat outside of seafood will also require the approval of the Department of Agriculture. For now, though, the limited market for these products means startups making them don’t have any path to economies of scale. The emissions toll of mass cultivated fish also remains unclear, as the more bioreactors are deployed to grow fish from cells, the more electricity they consume.

Then there’s the consumer challenge. Cultured meat’s cheerleaders need only look at plant-based meat to see how difficult it is to shift eating behavior. After years of development, some plant-based meat offerings taste almost identical to their animal counterparts, and claim similar nutritional content and far fewer emissions. But prices aren’t yet competitive, and consumers aren’t yet sold: Plant-based meat was estimated to have less than a 1% global market share last year, according to GFI Asia Pacific.

Avant, for its part, is optimistic about these hurdles — even though its own fish filets won’t be cost-competitive for at least three years. The company is now planning its first factory, and has raised nearly $15 million from institutional investors that include US-based S2G Ventures and Hong Kong-based tech incubator ParticleX. Co-Founder Carrie Chan says Avant has also started applying for regulatory approval in Singapore for its fish maw. Once that happens, a cell-cultured “treasure of the sea” could hit restaurant tables within two years.

--With assistance from Akshat Rathi, Oscar Boyd, Rosalie E'Silva, Jasmine Ng and Low De Wei.

(Corrects final paragraph to show S2G Ventures is based in the US. A previous version also corrected a fish name to croaker and the name of a unit to GFI Asia Pacific.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

©2022 Bloomberg L.P.

How do scientists expect ocean acidification to impact specific fish species?

How does elevated water acidity affect fish ability to survive?

What factors lead to damage of coral reefs?

Which marine organism is vulnerable to increased levels of ocean acidification?

Warmer seawater alters fish distribution, affecting marine mammal prey.

Ocean acidification harms pteropods, a crucial food source for some marine mammals.

Which ocean creatures have trouble forming shells due to ocean acidification?

Rising global CO2 concentrations from 320 ppm to 420 ppm drive ocean acidification, impacting marine ecosystems and mammals.

Title:

Content: There were 974 press releases posted in the last 24 hours and 451,057 in the last 365 days.

Editorial: the changing carbonate systems in coastal, estuarine, shelf areas and marginal seas

Editorial on the Research Topic
The changing carbonate systems in coastal, estuarine, shelf areas and marginal seas

Global atmospheric CO2 concentrations have increased from 320 ppm in the 1960s to the present-day value of 420 ppm, primarily due to anthropogenic activities. This increase influences the seawater carbonate system, impacting the marine ecosystem. There are still gaps that need to be resolved for predicting how these marine systems respond to current and future CO2 levels. Any actions to mitigate the change in pH will require adaptive management of multiple stressors across several spatial scales. Combined, these perspectives yield a more comprehensive picture of events during ocean acidification (OA).

This Research Topic brings together articles from different regions, including coastal, estuarine, and shelf areas and marginal seas, all susceptible to changing atmospheric conditions, riverine inputs, air-sea CO2 exchanges, and multiple acid-base reactions that can alter carbonate chemistry. Articles on the long-term trends of CO2 system descriptors and the interactions with calcifying organisms were also sought. The present Research Topic is primarily based on original articles devoted to carbonate systems in the marginal seas, but it is a pity that some interesting papers dealing with freshwater inflows, estuaries, and related coastal areas were not accepted.

Fransson et al. examined the effects of glacial and sea-ice meltwater on ocean acidification in the waters near the 79 North Glacier (79 NG) and the northeast Greenland shelf. The researchers investigated various ocean acidification factors and the influence of freshening, primary production, and air-sea CO2 exchange. One of the key findings was that the biological removal of CO2 through primary production played a crucial role in offsetting the negative impact of freshwater dilution on the aragonite saturation state (ΩAr), which is a measure of ocean acidification. This compensation effect was most pronounced in 2012, especially in the vicinity of the 79 NG front, where there was a significant presence of glacial meltwater and surface stratification. In 2016, a different scenario was observed, with a more homogenized water column due to sea-ice meltwater. In this case, the compensation effect of biological CO2 removal on ΩAr was weaker compared to 2012. The study also suggests that in the future, with ongoing climate and ocean chemistry changes, the increasing influence of meltwater may surpass the mitigating effects of biological CO2 removal. This could lead to unfavorable conditions for organisms that rely on calcium carbonate for their shells and skeletons. Thus, all the proposed factors need to be closely monitored as they could have significant implications for marine ecosystems and calcifying organisms in the face of ongoing environmental changes.

In a study by You et al., the researchers assessed ocean acidification in the Western Pacific using boron isotopic analysis in a large tropical coral core from Lanyu Islet in Southeast Taiwan. They used a well-preserved coral skeleton (Porites lobata) for detailed major and trace element analysis, including boron (B) and its isotopes (δ11B), as well as stable isotopes of oxygen (O) and carbon (C). Their primary objective was to investigate environmental changes during the period from 1991 to 1997. The coral records revealed a distinct temporal trend in sea surface temperatures (SSTs) based on elemental/calcium ratios on both annual and monthly scales. Notably, the most temperature-sensitive proxy, Mg/Ca-SSTs, indicated a significant warming trend during the study period. The researchers also observed subtle changes in the annual δ11B record, corresponding to a pH decrease of approximately 0.2 units. This change was consistent with other coral records in the Pacific, in-situ measurements of pH and pCO2, and model predictions, highlighting the impact of human-induced ocean acidification. When combined with Mg/Ca-SST data, the intra-annual coral data exhibited a clear seasonal cycle, with higher pH levels during the winter, aligning with surface ocean pCO2 patterns. These chemical and isotopic findings in corals underscore the value of marine biogenic carbonates as informative tools for reconstructing oceanic pH changes.

Rivaro et al. investigated freshwater inflow into the Ross Sea in Antarctica, particularly through the eastern gate and along the Ross Ice Shelf. They conducted a survey during the austral summer of 2019-20 to assess the contribution of Amundsen Sea Water (ASW) to salinity variations. The researchers used data on total alkalinity (AT), pH, temperature, and salinity to analyze the properties of the carbonate system, including total inorganic carbon, pCO2, and the calcium carbonate saturation state of aragonite and calcite (Ω), along with the Revelle factor. They also estimated anthropogenic carbon (Cant) using the TrOCA method to gain insights into the carbon cycle and its impact on ocean acidification due to atmospheric CO2 uptake. The study found that changes in the carbonate chemistry of surface waters were primarily influenced by physical properties. AT and pH were effective indicators of the entry of ASW, demonstrating limited mixing between different water masses in the shelf area. Additionally, shelf waters were enriched in Cant, leading to levels lower than what was estimated for shelf waters generated in the western Ross Sea.

Ingrosso et al. investigated the factors influencing the absorption of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (Cant) in the Ross Sea, an area known for its capacity to absorb carbon due to its cold waters, high primary productivity, and unique circulation on the Antarctic continental shelf. The researchers focused on the carbonate system to assess the current levels of anthropogenic carbon and understand how physical and biological processes regulate Cant sequestration along the shelf-slope continuum. They found that the Winter Water mass, formed during convective events, contained high levels of Cant due to the mixing of layers during the cold season. In contrast, the older and less-ventilated Circumpolar Deep Water entering the Ross Sea had minimal anthropogenic carbon contributions. The study also revealed variations in Cant content between different areas, such as polynyas and the shelf break, influenced by their distinct hydrographic and biological characteristics. The intense microbial activity in these regions consumed a significant portion of particulate organic carbon, leading to the release of CO2 into the intermediate and deep layers of the continental shelf zone. The findings underscored the importance of summer biological activity over the Ross Sea shelf in facilitating the transfer of anthropogenic CO2 between organic and inorganic carbon pools. This process contributed to ocean acidification in the upper mesopelagic zone and the long-term sequestration of Cant in the deep ocean.

Hassoun et al. conducted a comprehensive review of ocean acidification (OA) research in the Mediterranean region using data from the United Nations’ International Atomic Energy Agency’s Ocean Acidification International Coordination Center (OA-ICC) database and an extensive survey. Their analysis revealed several important knowledge gaps in understanding OA trends and biological impacts in the semi-enclosed and densely populated Mediterranean Sea. These gaps are attributed to disparities in OA research capabilities among Mediterranean countries and the intricate, long-term interactions among biological, chemical, and physical factors. The study highlighted an uneven distribution of OA research efforts across the region, with the Algero-Provencal and Ionian sub-basins being the least studied areas. Furthermore, the carbonate system in coastal zones remains inadequately quantified, and there is a scarcity of long-term time series data in the Mediterranean, making it challenging to assess OA trends along the coast. While certain groups of organisms, such as autotrophs (algae, phanerogams, phytoplankton), mollusks, and corals, have received considerable attention in research, others, including microbes, small mollusks (particularly pteropods), and sponges, have been relatively understudied. Despite available resources and agreements for enhanced and coordinated OA governance, there is a lack of consistent OA policies in the Mediterranean Sea. To address these challenges, the article offers recommendations based on their literature review and insights from the Mediterranean OA scientific community.

Curbelo-Hernández et al. conducted an analysis of the carbon dioxide (CO2) system, anthropogenic carbon (Cant) inventory, and air-sea CO2 fluxes (FCO2) in the waters surrounding the Macaronesian archipelago. They found that variations in CO2 levels were primarily influenced by temperature changes, biological activity, and advection processes driven by differences in the Canary Upwelling System, mixed layer depth, mesoscale activity, and circulation patterns. Surface CO2 levels (fCO2,sw) were found to be influenced by biological production and the injection of CO2-rich water in tropical waters, while temperature fluctuations played a significant role in subtropical waters. The study also examined the factors that control changes in the total inorganic carbon normalized to a constant salinity (NCT) in the upper ocean. The research revealed an increase in the uptake and storage of anthropogenic carbon compared to preexisting levels, as calculated using the TrOCA 2007 approach, which served as an upper limit for NCT. The importance of the organic carbon pump diminished in subtropical waters, while the carbonate pump had minimal contribution. Regarding FCO2, the area behaved as a CO2 sink during the winter, but strong outgassing was observed over the Cape Blanc filament. To enhance understanding in this region, the authors compared their data with existing datasets (SOCAT and GLODAP) and provided a new set of equations for calculating fCO2,sw, Cant, and FCO2 in the Macaronesian area.

All these studies emphasize the urgency of addressing ocean acidification and its multifaceted impacts on marine ecosystems. They call for continued monitoring, research, and international cooperation to better understand and mitigate the effects of rising CO2 levels on our oceans and the life they support.

Ogrinc N., Giani M. & Faganeli J., 2023. Editorial: the changing carbonate systems in coastal, estuarine, shelf areas and marginal seas. Frontiers Marine Science 10: 1325363. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2023.1325363. Article.

Like this:

Like Loading...

Related

What factors lead to damage of coral reefs?

What is the main cause of ocean acidification?

water absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere

Which marine organism is vulnerable to increased levels of ocean acidification?

Ocean acidification impacts marine ecosystems, including important prey species for marine mammals.

How do scientists expect ocean acidification to impact specific fish species?

it will affect their physiology and growth

How does elevated water acidity affect fish ability to survive?

Ocean acidification can impact marine mammal populations by altering the ocean resources they rely on.

Title:

Content:
Marine mammal reproduction rests on a precarious tipping point of ocean resources

Changing environmental conditions may threaten marine mammal populations by making it harder to find prey, and a new study shows how small, gradual reductions in prey could have profound implications for animal populations.

The reproductive success of female elephant seals depends on their ability to find prey and put on weight during their months-long foraging migrations. Researchers at UC Santa Cruz studied the relationships between elephant seal behavioral strategies in the , , and lifetime success at producing pups.

Their findings, published March 8 in Ecology Letters, reveal a sharp threshold in the relationship between mass gain and pup production, suggesting a physiological tipping point at which insufficient mass gain leads to reproductive failure.

"We found that diving deeper during foraging allowed the females to gain more mass, and gaining more mass led to a marginal increase in their chances of survival and a massive increase in the number of pups they produced in a lifetime," said corresponding author Roxanne Beltran, assistant professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at UC Santa Cruz.

Beltran's team used 25 years of data collected by the long-running UCSC elephant seal research program at Año Nuevo Reserve to investigate the influence of and foraging success on survival and reproduction in female northern elephant seals. Biologgers carried by the seals recorded their activities during the months-long migrations, including where the seals went and the depth of their dives, while data collected on the beach at Año Nuevo told researchers which animals survived, how much weight they gained, and how many pups they had over their lifetime.

"Conceptually it makes sense that an individual would have to gain enough energy to survive and reproduce, but we were able to demonstrate how entwined these are and suggest when survival may be prioritized over reproduction," said co-first author Keith Hernandez, who worked on the study as a postdoctoral scholar in Beltran's lab at UCSC and is now at Oregon State University.

Female elephant seals give birth annually to a single pup in winter. They spend four weeks on the beach nursing their pup, relying entirely on stored energy until they can wean the pup and return to the ocean to feed. After the winter breeding season, they head out to sea for two months before returning to the colony to molt. Then they leave on a long post-molting migration, traveling thousands of miles across the North Pacific Ocean over seven to eight months.

Individual seals pursue different strategies during these foraging trips, going different distances from the coast, diving to different depths, and targeting different prey (various species of fish and squid). The researchers found that dive depth was the strongest predictor of mass gain. Deeper diving seals migrated farther from the coast and had more energy-rich diets than shallower diving seals.

The resulting mass gain directly affects a seal's ability to produce a pup. A female that doesn't put on enough weight won't give birth to a pup after she returns to the beach. The threshold is around 205 kilograms (450 pounds): animals that gained less than that rarely pupped, while those gaining more than 260 kilograms (573 pounds) almost always pupped.

Survival also depends on putting on weight, and the longer a female lives the more pups she can produce. Previous research has shown that in the long run, a relatively small number of long-lived female elephant seals produce most of the pups in the colony. These "supermoms" may live as long as 23 years and produce more than 15 pups in their lifetimes, while most females don't live nearly as long and produce many fewer pups. The strategies that allow these moms to be so successful, however, have long been a mystery.

"We discovered that an additional 5 percent of foraging success led to a 300 percent increase in lifetime pup production due to the effects of mass gain on both survival and giving birth and raising a pup each year," Beltran said. "These findings tell us which strategies allow these long-lived mammals to succeed at their most important job, which is to stay alive and contribute to the next generation."

The study also provides a framework for studying demographic trends in other species, Hernandez said.

"Determining the relationship between foraging success, survival, and reproductive success can inform effective management practices once we understand the critical periods in an animal's annual cycle," he said.

The northern population is currently doing quite well, increasing by about 4 percent each year, after being hunted to near extinction in the 19th century. At the same time, however, their ocean environment is changing due to , and the is exploring the potential of the deep "mesopelagic" zone where elephant seals find their most energy-rich prey, Beltran said.

"Open ocean fishing and climate change could both have dramatic impacts on food resources for elephant seals," she said. "Elephant seals are incredibly successful now, but that could change as their environment shifts in the coming years."

More information: Roxanne S. Beltran et al, Physiological tipping points in the relationship between foraging success and lifetime fitness of a long‐lived mammal, Ecology Letters (2023). DOI: 10.1111/ele.14193

Journal information: Ecology Letters

Citation: Marine mammal reproduction rests on a precarious tipping point of ocean resources (2023, March 8) retrieved 8 March 2023 from https://phys.org/news/2023-03-marine-mammal-reproduction-rests-precarious.html
This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.

Explore further

Elephant seal's map sense tells them when to head 'home'

0 shares

Feedback to editors

Which marine organism is vulnerable to increased levels of ocean acidification?

Elephant seal reproduction is impacted by changes in prey availability due to ocean acidification.

Which marine organism is vulnerable to increased levels of ocean acidification?

Ocean acidification significantly impacts marine life, including cephalopods, affecting their physiology, behavior, and survival.

Title:

Content: The Arctic region is currently undergoing rapid and significant changes, with acidification and warming occurring at alarming rates.
These shifts raise concerns about the resilience of marine communities in the face of such environmental shifts.
Marine zooplankton, especially copepods, play a crucial role in the Arctic food web.
However, differences in environmental conditions can disrupt zooplankton populations, leading to adverse consequences for the entire ecosystem.
Recent research has focused on understanding the extent to which copepods in early life are exposed to environmental stressors, as they represent a critical bottleneck in the copepods life cycle.
A study by Espinel Velasco et al.
(2023) Explore the responses of 4-day-old Kalanos Hyperborius Lenobli to acidification (pH 7.5 and 8.1) and warming (0 and 3 ° C), both individually and collectively.
The study revealed that the larvae 'breathing rates increased significantly when exposed to a combination of acidification and warming.
Surprisingly, exposure to these stressors individually did not produce the same effect.
Surprisingly, the researchers did not find any noticeable differences in fat content and fatty acid composition in the larvae across various experimental treatments.
Wax esters, which make up about 75% of the fat reserve, and high amounts of long-chain fatty acids 20: 1 and 22: 1, necessary for copepods to reproduce, have been detected in all treatments.
By highlighting the sensitivity of larvae to the combined effects of acidification and warming, this study aligns with a growing body of evidence from relevant research.
It highlights the potential impacts of global change on Arctic copepod populations and stresses the importance of understanding early life stage responses to environmental stressors.
Questions and Answers:
Q: What are zooplankton?
A: Zooplankton refers to small, often microscopic, organisms that drift into the ocean or other bodies of water and serve as one of the main sources of food for many marine species.
Q: What is the role of copepods in the Arctic food web?
A: Copepods, especially calanotic copepods such as Calanus Hyperboreus, are a critical component of the Arctic food web.
They serve as a vital link between primary producers (such as phytoplankton) and higher trophic levels, serving as a food source for various marine species.
Q: What is acidification?
A: Acidification refers to the process of increasing acidity (lowering pH) in seawater due to the absorption of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
This occurs as a result of human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels.
Q: How does global warming affect marine ecosystems?
A: Ocean warming can have various impacts on marine ecosystems, including changes in species distribution, changing reproductive cycles, and potential disruptions to the delicate balance of food webs.
Source: Frontiers in Marine Science, DOI: 10.3389 / fmars.2023.1240673

How do scientists expect ocean acidification to impact specific fish species?

it will affect their physiology and growth

Which marine organism is vulnerable to increased levels of ocean acidification?

How do scientists expect ocean acidification to impact specific fish species?

it will affect their physiology and growth

Which marine organism is vulnerable to increased levels of ocean acidification?

How do scientists expect ocean acidification to impact specific fish species?

it will affect their physiology and growth

Which marine organism is vulnerable to increased levels of ocean acidification?

How do scientists expect ocean acidification to impact specific fish species?

it will affect their physiology and growth

Which marine organism is vulnerable to increased levels of ocean acidification?

How do scientists expect ocean acidification to impact specific fish species?

it will affect their physiology and growth

Which marine organism is vulnerable to increased levels of ocean acidification?

How do scientists expect ocean acidification to impact specific fish species?

it will affect their physiology and growth

Which marine organism is vulnerable to increased levels of ocean acidification?