Temperature dependent effects of elevated CO2 on shell composition and mechanical properties of Hydroides elegans: insights from a multiple stressor experiment.

ABSTRACT: The majority of marine benthic invertebrates protect themselves from predators by producing calcareous tubes or shells that have remarkable mechanical strength. An elevation of CO2 or a decrease in pH in the environment can reduce intracellular pH at the site of calcification and thus interfere with animal's ability to accrete CaCO3. In nature, decreased pH in combination with stressors associated with climate change may result in the animal producing severely damaged and mechanically weak tubes. This study investigated how the interaction of environmental drivers affects production of calcareous tubes by the serpulid tubeworm, Hydroides elegans. In a factorial manipulative experiment, we analyzed the effects of pH (8.1 and 7.8), salinity (34 and 27‰), and temperature (23°C and 29°C) on th

SUBMITTER: Chan VB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3827122 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature