Foraging behaviour, swimming performance and malformations of early stages of commercially important fishes under ocean acidification and warming

Marta S. Pimentel (), Filipa Faleiro, Tiago Marques, Regina Bispo, Gisela Dionísio, Ana M. Faria, Jorge Machado, Myron A. Peck, Hans Pörtner, Pedro Pousão-Ferreira, Emanuel J. Gonçalves and Rui Rosa
Additional contact information
Marta S. Pimentel: Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa
Filipa Faleiro: Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa
Tiago Marques: University of St Andrews
Regina Bispo: Taguspark
Gisela Dionísio: Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa
Ana M. Faria: ISPA – Instituto Universitário
Jorge Machado: Universidade do Porto
Myron A. Peck: University of Hamburg
Hans Pörtner: Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Animal Ecophysiology, Postfach 120161
Pedro Pousão-Ferreira: Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera
Emanuel J. Gonçalves: ISPA – Instituto Universitário
Rui Rosa: Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa

Climatic Change, 2016, vol. 137, issue 3, No 14, 495-509

Abstract: Abstract Early life stages of many marine organisms are being challenged by climate change, but little is known about their capacity to tolerate future ocean conditions. Here we investigated a comprehensive set of biological responses of larvae of two commercially important teleost fishes, Sparus aurata (gilthead seabream) and Argyrosomus regius (meagre), after exposure to future predictions of ocean warming (+4 °C) and acidification (ΔpH = 0.5). The combined effect of warming and hypercapnia elicited a decrease in the hatching success (by 26.4 and 14.3 % for S. aurata and A. regius, respectively) and larval survival (by half) in both species. The length for newly-hatched larvae was not significantly affected, but a significant effect of hypercapnia was found on larval growth. However, while S. aurata growth was reduced (24.8–36.4 % lower), A. regius growth slightly increased (3.2–12.9 % higher) under such condition. Under acidification, larvae of both species spent less time swimming, and displayed reduced attack and capture rates of prey. The impact of warming on these behavioural traits was opposite but less evident. While not studied in A. regius, the incidence of body malformations in S. aurata larvae increased significantly (more than tripled) under warmer and hypercapnic conditions. These morphological impairments and behavioural changes are expected to affect larval performance and recruitment success, and further influence the abundance of fish stocks and the population structure of these commercially important fish species. However, given the pace of ocean climate change, it is important not to forget that species may have the opportunity to acclimate and adapt.

Date: 2016
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DOI: 10.1007/s10584-016-1682-5

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