Thermal limits and adaptation in marine Antarctic ectotherms: an integrative view

Dietary modification of membrane composition mimics characteristics of thermal acclimation in the eastern newt (Notophthalmus viridescens)

Acclimation in response to seasonal temperature fluctuations is well described across animal taxa. Our previous studies on adult eastern red spotted newts have demonstrated that winter- or cold-acclimated newts prefer lower cloacal temperatures, have higher standard metabolic rates (SMRs), exhibit higher skeletal muscle cytochrome c oxidase (CCO) and citrate synthase (CS) activity, and possess membranes composed of elevated polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content compared with skeletal muscle of summer- or warm-acclimated newts. Acclimation to cold also results in partial compensation of locomotor performance. Additionally, northern populations have higher CS and CCO activity and a higher degree of membrane unsaturation compared with southern populations regardless of acclimation conditions. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that modification of membrane fatty acid composition mimics characteristics of thermal acclimation. We modified membrane composition in newts independent of environmental temperature by feeding them diets differing in fatty acid composition (saturated, monounsaturated, and n3 or n6 PUFA diets) and measured CCO and CS activity, SMR, preferred cloacal temperature, locomotor performance and thermal tolerance. Here, we present data suggesting that a diet-mediated elevation of PUFA in tissue membranes results in lower preferred body temperature, increased metabolic rate, increased burst speed at low temperature and decreased burst speed at high temperature. This introduces an ectothermic vertebrate model system that acclimates characteristics across levels of biological organization in which we can effectively uncouple membrane composition from environmental temperature or light cycle, and further suggests that diet may be an important component of thermal acclimation in nature.

Variation of thermal tolerance during northward range expansion in the invasive golden star tunicate, Botryllus schlosseri

Populations within a species can differ with respect to their thermal physiology, with variation often observed across gradients in environmental temperature with latitude or elevation. The tempo at which phenotypic plasticity and/or local adaptation are able to shape variation in thermal tolerance has implications for species persistence in an increasingly volatile climate. Having encountered novel environments during introduction and subsequent range expansion, non-indigenous species present useful case studies for examining thermal tolerance differentiation on contemporary time scales. Here we test for differentiation of heat and cold tolerance among three populations of the invasive golden star tunicate, Botryllus schlosseri (Pallas), spanning a 24.3° latitudinal gradient in the Northeast Pacific. We observed differentiation of post-larval heat tolerance among our sites, with our southern, putatively warm-adapted population exhibiting a significantly higher LT50 than the two more northern populations. We also found that adult cardiac performance at cold temperatures is progressively greater in colder, higher latitude populations. This pattern may suggest compensatory genetic adaptation to colder environmental temperatures. By examining both heat tolerance and cold performance simultaneously among populations of an invasive ascidian, we document how this marine ectotherm is capable of shifting its physiology to novel environmental conditions over compressed time scales, with implications for the spread of this invasive species and, more broadly, for species' responses to temperature in an era of global change.

Convergent Gene Duplication in Arctic and Antarctic Teleost Fishes

Teleost fishes have independently colonized polar regions multiple times, facing many physiological and biochemical challenges due to frigid temperatures. Although increased gene copy numbers can contribute to adaptive evolution in extreme environments, it remains unclear which categories of genes exhibit increased copy numbers associated with polar colonization. Using 104 species of ray-finned fishes, we systematically identified genes with a significant correlation between copy number and polar colonization after phylogenetic correction. Several genes encoding extracellular glycoproteins, including zona pellucida (ZP) proteins, which increase their copy number in Antarctic notothenioid fishes, exhibited elevated copy numbers across multiple polar fish lineages. Additionally, some genes reported to be highly expressed under cold stress, such as cold-inducible RNA-binding protein (CIRBP), had significantly increased copy numbers in polar fishes. Further analysis will provide a fundamental basis for understanding the role of gene duplication in polar adaptations.

A High-Resolution Microscopy System for Biological Studies of Cold-Adapted Species Under Physiological Conditions

The Antarctic seabed harbors significant biodiversity, and almost 90% of oceanic environments are permanently below 5 °C (i.e., deep sea and polar regions). However, organisms whose entire lifecycle occurs around 0 °C are understudied, leaving this large and diverse proportion of the global biome poorly understood. To address this question at the cellular level, tools are required for high-resolution imaging of biological systems under physiological conditions. This poses severe technical challenges. High-resolution imaging objectives require short working distances and immersion media, causing rapid heat transfer from the microscope to the sample. This affects the viability of live specimens and the interpretability of results. Here, we present a method for high-fidelity imaging of live biological samples at temperatures of around, or below, 0 °C. It relies on hardware additions to traditional microscopy, namely as a cooling collar, 10% ethanol as an immersion medium, and nitrogen flow to reduce condensation It can be straightforwardly implemented on different microscopy modalities, including super-resolution imaging. The method is demonstrated in live cell cultures derived from Antarctic fish and highlights the need to maintain physiological conditions for these fragile samples. Future applications include evolutionary biology, biophysics and biotechnology.

Antarctic cushion star Odontaster validus larval performance is negatively impacted by long-term parental acclimation to elevated temperature

Cross-generational responses, when the parents' environment influences offspring performance, may contribute to species resilience to climate change in rapidly warming regions such as coastal Antarctica. Adult Antarctic sea stars Odontaster validus were conditioned in the laboratory to two temperature treatments (ambient, 0 °C and warming, +3 °C) for two years, and their gametes were used to generate larval offspring. The response of their larvae to five temperatures (0 °C, 1 °C, 2 °C, 3 °C, and 4 °C) was examined over 145 days. Adults conditioned to 3 °C produced significantly smaller eggs compared with those from 0 °C conditioned adults. After fertilisation, larval size, development, and survival were comparable in offspring from 0 °C and 3 °C conditioned parents. After 34 days of development, while survival was greater in offspring from 3 °C adults, offspring size was reduced during the transition from the gastrula to the bipinnaria larva. After ~50 days, survival in larvae from 3 °C conditioned adults decreased, and larval development was arrested at the bipinnaria stage (the exception being for larva reared at 4 °C which reached the early-brachiolaria). By the end of the experiment (145 days), offspring of the 0 °C conditioned adults had greater survival (17.6-34.3 %) and growth (final size = 697 to 773 μm) and had reached the early-brachiolaria larval stage, compared to those from the 3 °C conditioned adults (survival 7.0-19.3 %; growth final size = 380 to 624 μm) with early-brachiolaria larval stages mostly absent. Long-term acclimation of adults in elevated temperatures projected for the end of the century did not result in positive carryover outcomes for offspring, and did not lead to offspring being better suited to elevated temperatures. While O. validus adults may survive exposure to projected warming and produce viable gametes, their larval offspring may have lower developmental success. The downstream effects of poor recruitment of a key species such as O. validus would have important outcomes for coastal Antarctic ecosystems.

Collective effects of rising average temperatures and heat events on oviparous embryos

Survival of the immobile embryo in response to rising temperature is important to determine a species' vulnerability to climate change. However, the collective effects of 2 key thermal characteristics associated with climate change (i.e., rising average temperature and acute heat events) on embryonic survival remain largely unexplored. We used empirical measurements and niche modeling to investigate how chronic and acute heat stress independently and collectively influence the embryonic survival of lizards across latitudes. We collected and bred lizards from 5 latitudes and incubated their eggs across a range of temperatures to quantify population-specific responses to chronic and acute heat stress. Using an embryonic development model parameterized with measured embryonic heat tolerances, we further identified a collective impact of embryonic chronic and acute heat tolerances on embryonic survival. We also incorporated embryonic chronic and acute heat tolerance in hybrid species distribution models to determine species' range shifts under climate change. Embryos' tolerance of chronic heat (T-chronic) remained consistent across latitudes, whereas their tolerance of acute heat (T-acute) was higher at high latitudes than at low latitudes. Tolerance of acute heat exerted a more pronounced influence than tolerance of chronic heat. In species distribution models, climate change led to the most significant habitat loss for each population and species in its low-latitude distribution. Consequently, habitat for populations across all latitudes will shift toward high latitudes. Our study also highlights the importance of considering embryonic survival under chronic and acute heat stresses to predict species' vulnerability to climate change.

Ocean warming and acidification adjust inter- and intra-specific variability in the functional trait expression of polar invertebrates

Climate change is known to affect the distribution and composition of species, but concomitant alterations to functionally important aspects of behaviour and species-environment relations are poorly constrained. Here, we examine the ecosystem ramifications of changes in sediment-dwelling invertebrate bioturbation behaviour-a key process mediating nutrient cycling-associated with near-future environmental conditions (+ 1.5 °C, 550 ppm [pCO2]) for species from polar regions experiencing rapid rates of climate change. We find that responses to warming and acidification vary between species and lead to a reduction in intra-specific variability in behavioural trait expression that adjusts the magnitude and direction of nutrient concentrations. Our analyses also indicate that species behaviour is not predetermined, but can be dependent on local variations in environmental history that set population capacities for phenotypic plasticity. We provide evidence that certain, but subtle, aspects of inter- and intra-specific variation in behavioural trait expression, rather than the presence or proportional representation of species per se, is an important and under-appreciated determinant of benthic biogeochemical responses to climate change. Such changes in species behaviour may act as an early warning for impending ecological transitions associated with progressive climate forcing.

Severe 21st-century ocean acidification in Antarctic Marine Protected Areas

Antarctic coastal waters are home to several established or proposed Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) supporting exceptional biodiversity. Despite being threatened by anthropogenic climate change, uncertainties remain surrounding the future ocean acidification (OA) of these waters. Here we present 21st-century projections of OA in Antarctic MPAs under four emission scenarios using a high-resolution ocean-sea ice-biogeochemistry model with realistic ice-shelf geometry. By 2100, we project pH declines of up to 0.36 (total scale) for the top 200 m. Vigorous vertical mixing of anthropogenic carbon produces severe OA throughout the water column in coastal waters of proposed and existing MPAs. Consequently, end-of-century aragonite undersaturation is ubiquitous under the three highest emission scenarios. Given the cumulative threat to marine ecosystems by environmental change and activities such as fishing, our findings call for strong emission-mitigation efforts and further management strategies to reduce pressures on ecosystems, such as the continuation and expansion of Antarctic MPAs.

Mitochondrial metabolism and respiration adjustments following temperature acclimation in Daphnia magna

Seasonal temperature changes and local variations in the water column challenge lentic zooplankton in their habitat. At the cellular level, exposure to varying temperatures affects the mitochondrial functional properties of poikilothermic organisms. Metabolic enzymes that supply reduced substrates to the electron transport chain and elements of the oxidative phosphorylation system must therefore adjust their activity and flux rates to the altered temperature conditions. In the present study, Daphnia magna respiration was analyzed in response to acute and chronic changes in ambient temperature. Oxygen consumption as well as substrate and electron flux rates were measured at the animals' acclimation temperature and at two additional acute temperatures. High activity of citrate synthase (CS) in cold-acclimated animals (10 °C) may have resulted from mitochondrial quantitative adjustments. However, thermal sensitivity of the functional properties of mitochondrial enzymes was greater in warm-acclimated animals (30 °C). In whole animals, temperature-induced changes were partly compensated by acclimation, but these changes were promoted by acclimation in the case of the mitochondrial electron transport chain. Thus, respiration realised in whole animals was limited by the provision of reduced substrates in the tricarboxylic acid cycle rather than by restrictions of the respiratory chain complexes. This may minimize production of reactive oxygen species and resulting damage and reduce waste of substrates from the animals' energy reserves. Still, the integrated biomarker response indicated increased defense against oxidative stress at elevated temperatures.

Climate-Change Impacts on Cephalopods: A Meta-Analysis

Aside from being one of the most fascinating groups of marine organisms, cephalopods play a major role in marine food webs, both as predators and as prey, while representing key living economic assets, namely for artisanal and subsistence fisheries worldwide. Recent research suggests that cephalopods are benefitting from ongoing environmental changes and the overfishing of certain fish stocks (i.e., of their predators and/or competitors), putting forward the hypothesis that this group may be one of the few "winners" of climate change. While many meta-analyses have demonstrated negative and overwhelming consequences of ocean warming (OW), acidification (OA), and their combination for a variety of marine taxa, such a comprehensive analysis is lacking for cephalopod molluscs. In this context, the existing literature was surveyed for peer-reviewed articles featuring the sustained (≥24 h) and controlled exposure of cephalopod species (Cephalopoda class) to these factors, applying a comparative framework of mixed-model meta-analyses (784 control-treatment comparisons, from 47 suitable articles). Impacts on a wide set of biological categories at the individual level (e.g., survival, metabolism, behavior, cell stress, growth) were evaluated and contrasted across different ecological attributes (i.e., taxonomic lineages, climates, and ontogenetic stages). Contrary to what is commonly assumed, OW arises as a clear threat to cephalopods, while OA exhibited more restricted impacts. In fact, OW impacts were ubiquitous across different stages of ontogeny, taxonomical lineages (i.e., octopuses, squids, and cuttlefish). These results challenge the assumption that cephalopods benefit from novel ocean conditions, revealing an overarching negative impact of OW in this group. Importantly, we also identify lingering literature gaps, showing that most studies to date focus on OW and early life stages of mainly temperate species. Our results raise the need to consolidate experimental efforts in a wider variety of taxa, climate regions, life stages, and other key environmental stressors, such as deoxygenation and hypoxia, to better understand how cephalopods will cope with future climate change.

Comparative Population Transcriptomics Provide New Insight into the Evolutionary History and Adaptive Potential of World Ocean Krill

Genetic variation is instrumental for adaptation to changing environments but it is unclear how it is structured and contributes to adaptation in pelagic species lacking clear barriers to gene flow. Here, we applied comparative genomics to extensive transcriptome datasets from 20 krill species collected across the Atlantic, Indian, Pacific, and Southern Oceans. We compared genetic variation both within and between species to elucidate their evolutionary history and genomic bases of adaptation. We resolved phylogenetic interrelationships and uncovered genomic evidence to elevate the cryptic Euphausia similis var. armata into species. Levels of genetic variation and rates of adaptive protein evolution vary widely. Species endemic to the cold Southern Ocean, such as the Antarctic krill Euphausia superba, showed less genetic variation and lower evolutionary rates than other species. This could suggest a low adaptive potential to rapid climate change. We uncovered hundreds of candidate genes with signatures of adaptive evolution among Antarctic Euphausia but did not observe strong evidence of adaptive convergence with the predominantly Arctic Thysanoessa. We instead identified candidates for cold-adaptation that have also been detected in Antarctic fish, including genes that govern thermal reception such as TrpA1. Our results suggest parallel genetic responses to similar selection pressures across Antarctic taxa and provide new insights into the adaptive potential of important zooplankton already affected by climate change.

Evolutionary Adaptation of Protein Turnover in White Muscle of Stenothermal Antarctic Fish: Elevated Cold Compensation at Reduced Thermal Responsiveness

Protein turnover is highly energy consuming and overall relates to an organism's growth performance varying largely between species, e.g., due to pre-adaptation to environmental characteristics such as temperature. Here, we determined protein synthesis rates and capacity of protein degradation in white muscle of the cold stenothermal Antarctic eelpout (Pachycara brachycephalum) and its closely related temperate counterpart, the eurythermal common eelpout (Zoarces viviparus). Both species were exposed to acute warming (P. brachycephalum, 0 °C + 2 °C day-1; Z. viviparus, 4 °C + 3 °C day-1). The in vivo protein synthesis rate (Ks) was monitored after injection of 13C-phenylalanine, and protein degradation capacity was quantified by measuring the activity of cathepsin D in vitro. Untargeted metabolic profiling by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy was used to identify the metabolic processes involved. Independent of temperature, the protein synthesis rate was higher in P. brachycephalum (Ks = 0.38-0.614 % day-1) than in Z. viviparus (Ks= 0.148-0.379% day-1). Whereas protein synthesis remained unaffected by temperature in the Antarctic species, protein synthesis in Z. viviparus increased to near the thermal optimum (16 °C) and tended to fall at higher temperatures. Most strikingly, capacities for protein degradation were about ten times higher in the Antarctic compared to the temperate species. These differences are mirrored in the metabolic profiles, with significantly higher levels of complex and essential amino acids in the free cytosolic pool of the Antarctic congener. Together, the results clearly indicate a highly cold-compensated protein turnover in the Antarctic eelpout compared to its temperate confamilial. Constant versus variable environments are mirrored in rigid versus plastic functional responses of the protein synthesis machinery.

Abyssal hydrothermal springs-Cryptic incubators for brooding octopus

Does warmth from hydrothermal springs play a vital role in the biology and ecology of abyssal animals? Deep off central California, thousands of octopus (Muusoctopus robustus) migrate through cold dark waters to hydrothermal springs near an extinct volcano to mate, nest, and die, forming the largest known aggregation of octopus on Earth. Warmth from the springs plays a key role by raising metabolic rates, speeding embryonic development, and presumably increasing reproductive success; we show that brood times for females are ~1.8 years, far faster than expected for abyssal octopods. Using a high-resolution subsea mapping system, we created landscape-scale maps and image mosaics that reveal 6000 octopus in a 2.5-ha area. Because octopuses die after reproducing, hydrothermal springs indirectly provide a food supplement to the local energy budget. Although localized deep-sea heat sources may be essential to octopuses and other warm-tolerant species, most of these unique and often cryptic habitats remain undiscovered and unexplored.

Heat tolerance of marine ectotherms in a warming Antarctica

Global warming is affecting the Antarctic continent in complex ways. Because Antarctic organisms are specialized to living in the cold, they are vulnerable to increasing temperatures, although quantitative analyses of this issue are currently lacking. Here we compiled a total of 184 estimates of heat tolerance belonging to 39 marine species and quantified how survival is affected concomitantly by the intensity and duration of thermal stress. Species exhibit thermal limits displaced toward colder temperatures, with contrasting strategies between arthropods and fish that exhibit low tolerance to acute heat challenges, and brachiopods, echinoderms, and molluscs that tend to be more sensitive to chronic exposure. These differences might be associated with mobility. A dynamic mortality model suggests that Antarctic organisms already encounter temperatures that might be physiologically stressful and indicate that these ecological communities are indeed vulnerable to ongoing rising temperatures.

Metabolic remodeling caused by heat hardening in the Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis

Organisms can modify and increase their thermal tolerance faster and more efficiently after a brief exposure to sublethal thermal stress. This response is called 'heat hardening' as it leads to the generation of phenotypes with increased heat tolerance. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of heat hardening on the metabolomic profile of Mytilus galloprovincialis in order to identify the associated adjustments of biochemical pathways that might benefit the mussels' thermal tolerance. Thus, mussels were exposed sequentially to two different phases (heat hardening and acclimation phases). To gain further insight into the possible mechanisms underlying the metabolic response of the heat-hardened M. galloprovincialis, metabolomics analysis was complemented by the estimation of mRNA expression of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK), pyruvate kinase (PK) and alternative oxidase (AOX) implicated in the metabolic pathways of gluconeogenesis, glycolysis and redox homeostasis, respectively. Heat-hardened mussels showed evidence of higher activity of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and diversification of upregulated metabolic pathways, possibly as a mechanism to increase ATP production and extend survival under heat stress. Moreover, formate and taurine accumulation provide an antioxidant and cytoprotective role in mussels during hypoxia and thermal stress. Overall, the metabolic responses in non-heat-hardened and heat-hardened mussels underline the upper thermal limits of M. galloprovincialis, set at 26°C, and are in accordance with the OCLTT concept. The ability of heat-hardened mussels to undergo a rapid gain and slow loss of heat tolerance may be an advantageous strategy for coping with intermittent and often extreme temperatures.

Of telomeres and temperature: Measuring thermal effects on telomeres in ectothermic animals

Ectotherms are classic models for understanding life-history tradeoffs, including the reproduction-somatic maintenance tradeoffs that may be reflected in telomere length and their dynamics. Importantly, life-history traits of ectotherms are tightly linked to their thermal environment, with diverse or synergistic mechanistic explanations underpinning the variation. Telomere dynamics potentially provide a mechanistic link that can be used to monitor thermal effects on individuals in response to climatic perturbations. Growth rate, age and developmental stage are all affected by temperature, which interacts with telomere dynamics in complex and intriguing ways. The physiological processes underpinning telomere dynamics can be visualized and understood using thermal performance curves (TPCs). TPCs reflect the evolutionary history and the thermal environment during an individual's ontogeny. Telomere maintenance should be enhanced at or near the thermal performance optimum of a species, population and individual. The thermal sensitivity of telomere dynamics should reflect the interacting TPCs of the processes underlying them. The key processes directly underpinning telomere dynamics are mitochondrial function (reactive oxygen production), antioxidant activity, telomerase activity and telomere endcap protein status. We argue that identifying TPCs for these processes will significantly help design robust, repeatable experiments and field studies of telomere dynamics in ectotherms. Conceptually, TPCs are a valuable framework to predict and interpret taxon- and population-specific telomere dynamics across thermal regimes. The literature of thermal effects on telomeres in ectotherms is sparse and mostly limited to vertebrates, but our conclusions and recommendations are relevant across ectothermic animals.

Acute, diel, and annual temperature variability and the thermal biology of ectotherms

Global warming is increasing mean temperatures and altering temperature variability at multiple temporal scales. To better understand the consequences of changes in thermal variability for ectotherms it is necessary to consider thermal variation at different time scales (i.e., acute, diel, and annual) and the responses of organisms within and across generations. Thermodynamics constrain acute responses to temperature, but within these constraints and over longer time periods, organisms have the scope to adaptively acclimate or evolve. Yet, hypotheses and predictions about responses to future warming tend not to explicitly consider the temporal scale at which temperature varies. Here, focusing on multicellular ectothermic animals, we argue that consideration of multiple processes and constraints associated with various timescales is necessary to better understand how altered thermal variability because of climate change will affect ectotherms.

Transcriptomic analysis provides insights into molecular mechanisms of thermal physiology

Physiological trait variation underlies health, responses to global climate change, and ecological performance. Yet, most physiological traits are complex, and we have little understanding of the genes and genomic architectures that define their variation. To provide insight into the genetic architecture of physiological processes, we related physiological traits to heart and brain mRNA expression using a weighted gene co-expression network analysis. mRNA expression was used to explain variation in six physiological traits (whole animal metabolism (WAM), critical thermal maximum (CT_max), and four substrate specific cardiac metabolic rates (CaM)) under 12 °C and 28 °C acclimation conditions. Notably, the physiological trait variations among the three geographically close (within 15 km) and genetically similar F. heteroclitus populations are similar to those found among 77 aquatic species spanning 15–20° of latitude (~ 2,000 km). These large physiological trait variations among genetically similar individuals provide a powerful approach to determine the relationship between mRNA expression and heritable fitness related traits unconfounded by interspecific differences. Expression patterns explained up to 82% of metabolic trait variation and were enriched for multiple signaling pathways known to impact metabolic and thermal tolerance (e.g., AMPK, PPAR, mTOR, FoxO, and MAPK) but also contained several unexpected pathways (e.g., apoptosis, cellular senescence), suggesting that physiological trait variation is affected by many diverse genes.

Comparative transcriptome reveals the thermal stress response differences between Heilongjiang population and Xinjiang population of Lota lota

Some cold-water fishes are particularly sensitive to the water temperature increasing caused by current global warming. However, the alterations in the physiology and behavior of infraspecific populations living in heterogeneous landscapes in response to water temperature increasing were significantly different. Consequently, understanding the impact of temperature increasing on different populations may be crucial for the conservation of cold-water fishes in the context of global warming. The burbot is the only freshwater specie in Gadiformes. To better understand the differences of different populations of burbot under similar thermal stress, Lota lota was selected as the research objects. Firstly, RNA-seq was applied to identify the transcriptomic responses of Heilongjiang population exposed to three temperature gradients (0 °C, 18 °C and 28 °C). Compared with 0 °C, 4216 and 12,657 genes were significantly differentially expressed at 18 °C and 28 °C, respectively. Meanwhile, 49 genes were significantly differentially expressed in three temperature pairs and these genes were presumed to involve in stress response process, immunologic process, reproductive process, development process, material metabolism process, signal transduction process, spermatogenesis process and cell apoptosis process. The response differences of two L. lota populations to similar thermal stress were compared and the results showed that they have different gene expression responses (the number of differentially expression genes and biological processes). The lower annual temperature of the Heilongjiang River might make it more sensitive to temperature increasing. Based on the comparative transcriptome analyses, 12 orthologous genes were considered as the potential regulators of L. lota preference for cold-water environment and these genes are potentially related to the immunologic process, reproductive process, development process, signal transduction process, and cell apoptosis process. Those results can provide basic information for the rational development of conservation strategies of different L. lota populations under the background of global warming.

Effects of Ocean Acidification over successive generations decrease larval resilience to Ocean Acidification & Warming but juvenile European sea bass could benefit from higher temperatures in the NE Atlantic

European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) is a large, economically important fish species with a long generation time whose long-term resilience to ocean acidification (OA) and warming (OW) is not clear. We incubated sea bass from Brittany (France) for two generations (>5 years in total) under ambient and predicted OA conditions (PCO2: 650 and 1700 µatm) crossed with ambient and predicted ocean OW conditions in F1 (temperature: 15-18°C and 20-23°C) to investigate the effects of climate change on larval and juvenile growth and metabolic rate. We found that in F1, OA as single stressor at ambient temperature did not affect larval or juvenile growth and OW increased developmental time and growth rates, but OAW decreased larval size at metamorphosis. Larval routine and juvenile standard metabolic rates were significantly lower in cold compared to warm conditioned fish and also lower in F0 compared to F1 fish. We did not find any effect of OA as a single stressor on metabolic rates. Juvenile PO2crit was not affected by OA or OAW in both generations. We discuss the potential underlying mechanisms resulting in the resilience of F0 and F1 larvae and juveniles to OA and in the beneficial effects of OW on F1 larval growth and metabolic rate, but on the other hand in the vulnerability of F1, but not F0 larvae to OAW. With regard to the ecological perspective, we conclude that recruitment of larvae and early juveniles to nursery areas might decrease under OAW conditions but individuals reaching juvenile phase might benefit from increased performance at higher temperatures.

Selection of predictor variables for species distribution models: a case study with an invasive marine bryozoan

Species distribution models (SDMs) are important tools for predicting the occurrence and abundance of organisms in space and time, with numerous applications in ecology. However, the accuracy and utility of SDMs can be compromised when predictor variables are selected without careful consideration of their ecophysiological relevance to the focal organism. We conducted an in-depth examination of the variable selection process by evaluating predictors to be used in SDMs for Membranipora membranacea, an ecologically significant marine invasive species with a complex lifecycle, as a case study. Using an information-theoretic and multi-model inference approach based on generalized linear mixed models, we assessed multiple environmental variables (depth, kelp density, kelp substrate, temperature, and wave exposure) as predictors of the abundance of multiple life stages of M. membranacea, investigating species-environment relationships and relative and absolute variable importance. We found that the relative importance of a predictor, the metric calculated to represent a predictor, and whether a predictor was proximal or distal were important considerations in the variable selection process. Data constraints (e.g. sample size, characteristics of available predictor data) may inhibit accurate assessment of predictor variables during variable selection. Importantly, our results suggest that species-environment relationships derived from small-scale studies can inform variable selection for SDMs at larger spatiotemporal scales. We developed a conceptual framework for variable selection for SDMs which can be applied to most contexts of species distribution modelling, but particularly those with several candidate predictors and a large dataset.

Transcriptional response to cold and fasting acclimation in Onychostoma macrolepis during the overwintering stage

In this study, we investigated the transcriptome responses of the liver of Onychostoma macrolepis in by RNA sequencing. The sampling process involved three groups: 1G (0 week, 10 °C), 2G (12 weeks, 0 °C) and 3G (24 weeks, 10 °C). The body weight, viscera index, hepatopancreas index and intraperitoneal fat index of O. macrolepis showed a decreasing trend with the prolonging of overwintering time. The crude fat contents of whole fish, muscle and liver in O. macrolepis after overwintering were significantly lower than those of the fish before overwintering (p < 0.05). In 1G versus 2G group, 2G versus 3G group and 1G versus 3G group, the differently expressed genes (DEGs) were 4630, 3976 and 2311, respectively. These results indicated that different stages of overwintering period had significant effects on gene expression of O. macrolepis, and the influence degree gradually decreased with the extension of overwintering period. The results of Gene ontology (GO) enrichment showed that these DEGs were mainly related to metabolism and immunity, and most of them were down-regulated. In this study, the KEGG pathway classification results showed that signal transduction was the most representative. In addition, KOG enrichment results showed that many DEGs associated with lipid transport and metabolism were down-regulated during the overwintering period. These observations suggested that slowing metabolism and delaying immunity may be the strategies for overwintering adaptation of O. macrolepis.

Environmental risk of nickel in aquatic Arctic ecosystems

The Arctic faces many environmental challenges, including the continued exploitation of its mineral resources such as nickel (Ni). The responsible development of Ni mining in the Arctic requires establishing a risk assessment framework that accounts for the specificities of this unique region. We set out to conduct preliminary assessments of Ni exposure and effects in aquatic Arctic ecosystems. Our analysis of Ni source and transport processes in the Arctic suggests that fresh, estuarine, coastal, and marine waters are potential Ni-receiving environments, with both pelagic and benthic communities being at risk of exposure. Environmental concentrations of Ni show that sites with elevated Ni concentrations are located near Ni mining operations in freshwater environments, but there is a lack of data for coastal and estuarine environments near such operations. Nickel bioavailability in Arctic freshwaters seems to be mainly driven by dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations with bioavailability being the highest in the High Arctic, where DOC levels are the lowest. However, this assessment is based on bioavailability models developed from non-Arctic species. At present, the lack of chronic Ni toxicity data on Arctic species constitutes the greatest hurdle toward the development of Ni quality standards in this region. Although there are some indications that polar organisms may not be more sensitive to contaminants than non-Arctic species, biological adaptations necessary for life in polar environments may have led to differences in species sensitivities, and this must be addressed in risk assessment frameworks. Finally, Ni polar risk assessment is further complicated by climate change, which affects the Arctic at a faster rate than the rest of the world. Herein we discuss the source, fate, and toxicity of Ni in Arctic aquatic environments, and discuss how climate change effects (e.g., permafrost thawing, increased precipitation, and warming) will influence risk assessments of Ni in the Arctic.

The evolutionary and physiological significance of the Hif pathway in teleost fishes

The hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) pathway is a key regulator of cellular O2 homeostasis and an important orchestrator of the physiological responses to hypoxia (low O2) in vertebrates. Fish can be exposed to significant and frequent changes in environmental O2, and increases in Hif-α (the hypoxia-sensitive subunit of the transcription factor Hif) have been documented in a number of species as a result of a decrease in O2. Here, we discuss the impact of the Hif pathway on the hypoxic response and the contribution to hypoxia tolerance, particularly in fishes of the cyprinid lineage, which includes the zebrafish (Danio rerio). The cyprinids are of specific interest because, unlike in most other fishes, duplicated paralogs of the Hif-α isoforms arising from a teleost-specific genome duplication event have been retained. Positive selection has acted on the duplicated paralogs of the Hif-α isoforms in some cyprinid sub-families, pointing to adaptive evolutionary change in the paralogs. Thus, cyprinids are valuable models for exploring the evolutionary significance and physiological impact of the Hif pathway on the hypoxic response. Knockout in zebrafish of either paralog of Hif-1α greatly reduces hypoxia tolerance, indicating the importance of both paralogs to the hypoxic response. Here, with an emphasis on the cardiorespiratory system, we focus on the role of Hif-1α in the hypoxic ventilatory response and the regulation of cardiac function. We explore the effects of the duration of the hypoxic exposure (acute, sustained or intermittent) on the impact of Hif-1α on cardiorespiratory function and compare relevant data with those from mammalian systems.

Effects of temperature and salinity on antioxidant responses in livers of temperate (Dicentrarchus labrax) and tropical (Chanos Chanos) marine euryhaline fish

Temperature and salinity are abiotic factors that affect physiological responses in aquaculture species. The European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) is a temperate species that is generally farmed at 18 °C in seawater (SW). In the wild, its incursions in shallow habitats such as lagoons may result in hyperthermal damage despite its high thermal tolerance. Meanwhile, the milkfish (Chanos chanos), a tropical species, is generally reared at 28 °C, and in winter, high mortality usually occurs under hypothermal stress such as cold snaps. This study compared changes in hepatic antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, SOD; and catalase, CAT) in these two important marine euryhaline aquaculture species in Europe and Southeast Asia, respectively, under temperature challenge combined with hypo-osmotic (fresh water, FW) stress. After a four-week hyper- or hypo-thermal treatment, hepatic SOD activity was upregulated in both species reared in SW and FW, indicating enhanced oxidative stress in European sea bass and milkfish. The expression profiles of sod isoforms suggested that in milkfish, the increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) was mainly at the cytosol level, leading to increased sod1 expression. In European sea bass, however, no obvious difference was found between the expression of sod isoforms at different temperatures. A lower expression of sod2 was observed in FW compared to SW in the latter species. Moreover, no significant change was observed in the mRNA expression and activity of CAT in the livers of these two species under the different temperature treatments, with the exception of the lower CAT activity in milkfish challenged with SW at 18 °C. Taken together, our results indicated that the antioxidant responses were not changed under long-term hypoosmotic challenge but were enhanced during the four-week temperature treatments in livers of both the temperate and tropical euryhaline species.

Does geographic variation in thermal tolerance in Daphnia represent trade-offs or conditional neutrality?

Geographic variation in thermal tolerance in Daphnia seems to represent genetic load at the loci specifically responsible for heat tolerance resulting from conditional neutrality. We see no evidence of trade-offs between fitness-related traits at 25 °C vs. 10 °C or between two algal diets across Daphnia magna clones from a variety of locations representing the opposite ends of the distribution of long-term heat tolerance. Likewise, we found no evidence of within-environment trade-offs between heat tolerance and fitness-related traits in any of the environments. Neither short-term and long-term heat tolerance shows any consistent relationship with lipid fluorescence polarization and lipid peroxidation across clones or environments. Pervasive positive correlations between fitness-related traits indicate differences in genetic load rather than trade-off based local adaptation or thermal specialization. For heat tolerance such differences may be caused by either relaxation of stabilizing selection due to lower exposure to high temperature extremes, i.e., conditional neutrality, or by small effective population size followed by the recent range expansion.

Mitochondrial volume density and evidence for its role in adaptive divergence in response to thermal tolerance in threespine stickleback

Phenotypic plasticity is predicted to permit persistence in new environments, and may subsequently evolve to enhance fitness. Colonizing environments with lower winter temperatures can lead to the evolution of lower critical thermal minima; the corresponding physiological traits associated with temperature tolerance are predicted to involve mitochondrial function. Threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) have colonized freshwater lakes along the Pacific Northwest. These freshwater populations are known to exhibit cold-induced increases in mitochondrial volume density in pectoral muscle, but whether such plasticity evolved before or after colonization is uncertain. Here, we measure critical thermal minima (CTmin) in one marine and one freshwater population of threespine stickleback, and mitochondrial volume density in pectoral and cardiac tissue of both populations acclimated to different temperature treatments (6.2, 14.5 and 20.6 ℃). Mitochondrial volume density increased with cold acclimation in pectoral muscle; cardiac muscle was non-plastic but had elevated mitochondrial volume densities compared to pectoral muscle across all temperature treatments. There were no differences in the levels of plasticity between marine and freshwater stickleback, but neither were there differences in CTmin. Importantly, marine stickleback exhibited plasticity under low-salinity conditions, suggesting that marine stickleback had at least one necessary phenotype for persistence in freshwater environments before colonization occurred.

Effects of temperature on the behaviour and metabolism of an intertidal foraminifera and consequences for benthic ecosystem functioning

Heatwaves have increased in intensity, duration and frequency over the last decades due to climate change. Intertidal species, living in a highly variable environment, are likely to be exposed to such heatwaves since they can be emerged for more than 6 h during a tidal cycle. Little is known, however, on how temperature affects species traits (e.g. locomotion and behaviour) of slow-moving organisms such as benthic foraminifera (single-celled protists), which abound in marine sediments. Here, we examine how temperature influences motion-behaviour and metabolic traits of the dominant temperate foraminifera Haynesina germanica by exposing individuals to usual (6, 12, 18, 24, 30 °C) and extreme (high; i.e. 32, 34, 36 °C) temperature regimes. Our results show that individuals reduced their activity by up to 80% under high temperature regimes whereas they remained active under the temperatures they usually experience in the field. When exposed to a hyper-thermic stress (i.e. 36 °C), all individuals remained burrowed and the photosynthetic activity of their sequestered chloroplasts significantly decreased. Recovery experiments subsequently revealed that individuals initially exposed to a high thermal regime partially recovered when the hyper-thermic stress ceased. H. germanica contribution to surface sediment reworking substantially diminished from 10 mm³ indiv^-1 day^-1 (usual temperature) to 0 mm³ indiv^-1 day^-1 when individuals were exposed to high temperature regimes (i.e. above 32 °C). Given their role in sediment reworking and organic matter remineralisation, our results suggest that heatwaves may have profound long-lasting effects on the functioning of intertidal muddy ecosystems and some key biogeochemical cycles.

Thermal profiles reveal stark contrasts in properties of biological membranes from heart among Antarctic notothenioid fishes which vary in expression of hemoglobin and myoglobin

Antarctic notothenioids are noted for extreme stenothermy, yet underpinnings of their thermal limits are not fully understood. We hypothesized that properties of ventricular membranes could explain previously observed differences among notothenioids in temperature onset of cardiac arrhythmias and persistent asystole. Microsomes were prepared using ventricles from six species of notothenioids, including four species from the hemoglobin-less (Hb-) family Channichthyidae (icefishes), which also differentially express cardiac myoglobin (Mb), and two species from the (Hb+) Nototheniidae. We determined membrane fluidity and structural integrity by quantifying fluorescence depolarization of 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH) and leakage of 5(6)-carboxyfluorescein, respectively, over a temperature range from ambient (0 °C) to 20 °C. Compositions of membrane phospholipids and cholesterol contents were also quantified. Membranes from all four species of icefishes exhibited greater fluidity than membranes from the red-blooded species N. coriiceps. Thermal sensitivity of fluidity did not vary among species. The greatest thermal sensitivity to leakage occurred between 0 and 5 °C for all species, while membranes from the icefish, Chaenocephalus aceratus (Hb-/Mb-) displayed leakage that was nearly 1.5-fold greater than leakage in N. coriiceps (Hb+/Mb+). Contents of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) were approximately 1.5-fold greater in icefishes than in red-blooded fishes, and phospholipids had a higher degree of unsaturation in icefishes than in Hb + notothenioids. Cholesterol contents were lowest in Champsocephalus gunnari (Hb-/Mb-) and highest in the two Hb+/Mb + species, G. gibberifrons and N. coriiceps. Our results reveal marked differences in membrane properties and indicate a breach in membrane fluidity and structural integrity at a lower temperature in icefishes than in red-blooded notothenioids.

Mountain stoneflies may tolerate warming streams: Evidence from organismal physiology and gene expression

Rapid glacier recession is altering the physical conditions of headwater streams. Stream temperatures are predicted to rise and become increasingly variable, putting entire meltwater-associated biological communities at risk of extinction. Thus, there is a pressing need to understand how thermal stress affects mountain stream insects, particularly where glaciers are likely to vanish on contemporary timescales. In this study, we measured the critical thermal maximum (CT_MAX ) of stonefly nymphs representing multiple species and a range of thermal regimes in the high Rocky Mountains, USA. We then collected RNA-sequencing data to assess how organismal thermal stress translated to the cellular level. Our focal species included the meltwater stonefly, Lednia tumana, which was recently listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act due to climate-induced habitat loss. For all study species, critical thermal maxima (CT_MAX  > 20°C) far exceeded the stream temperatures mountain stoneflies experience (<10°C). Moreover, while evidence for a cellular stress response was present, we also observed constitutive expression of genes encoding proteins known to underlie thermal stress (i.e., heat shock proteins) even at low temperatures that reflected natural conditions. We show that high-elevation aquatic insects may not be physiologically threatened by short-term exposure to warm temperatures and that longer-term physiological responses or biotic factors (e.g., competition) may better explain their extreme distributions.

Abiotic and past climatic conditions drive protein abundance variation among natural populations of the caddisfly Crunoecia irrorata

Deducing impacts of environmental change on species and the populations they form in nature is an important goal in contemporary ecology. Achieving this goal is hampered by our limited understanding of the influence of naturally occurring environmental variation on the molecular systems of ecologically relevant species, as the pathways underlying fitness-affecting plastic responses have primarily been studied in model organisms and under controlled laboratory conditions. Here, to test the hypothesis that proteome variation systematically relates to variation in abiotic conditions, we establish such relationships by profiling the proteomes of 24 natural populations of the spring-dwelling caddisfly Crunoecia irrorata. We identified protein networks whose abundances correlated with environmental (abiotic) gradients such as in situ pH, oxygen- and nitrate concentrations but also climatic data such as past thermal minima and temperature seasonality. Our analyses suggest that variations in abiotic conditions induce discrete proteome responses such as the differential abundance of proteins associated with cytoskeletal function, heat-shock proteins and proteins related to post-translational modification. Identifying these drivers of proteome divergence characterizes molecular "noise", and positions it as a background against which molecular signatures of species' adaptive responses to stressful conditions can be identified.

Characterization of the hypoxia-inducible factor-1 pathway in hearts of Antarctic notothenioid fishes

The ability of Antarctic notothenioid fishes to mount a robust molecular response to hypoxia is largely unknown. The transcription factor, hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1), a heterodimer of HIF-1α and HIF-1β subunits, is the master regulator of oxygen homeostasis in most metazoans. We sought to determine if, in the hearts of Antarctic notothenioids, HIF-1 is activated and functional in response to either an acute heat stress or hypoxia. The red-blooded Notothenia coriiceps and the hemoglobinless icefish, Chaenocephalus aceratus, were exposed to their critical thermal maximum (CT_MAX) or hypoxia (5.0 ± 0.3 mg of O₂ L^-1) for 2 h. Additionally, N. coriiceps was exposed to 2.3 ± 0.3 mg of O₂ L^-1 for 12 h, and red-blooded Gobionotothen gibberifrons was exposed to both levels of hypoxia. Levels of HIF-1α were quantified in nuclei isolated from heart ventricles using western blotting. Transcript levels of genes involved in anaerobic metabolism, and known to be regulated by HIF-1, were quantified by real-time PCR, and lactate levels were measured in heart ventricles. Protein levels of HIF-1α increase in nuclei of hearts of N. coriiceps and C. aceratus in response to exposure to CT_MAX and in hearts of N. coriiceps exposed to severe hypoxia, yet mRNA levels of anaerobic metabolic genes do not increase in any species, nor do lactate levels increase, suggesting that HIF-1 does not stimulate metabolic remodeling in hearts of notothenioids under these conditions. Together, these data suggest that Antarctic notothenioids may be vulnerable to hypoxic events, which are likely to increase with climate warming.

Footprints of local adaptation span hundreds of linked genes in the Atlantic silverside genome

The study of local adaptation in the presence of ongoing gene flow is the study of natural selection in action, revealing the functional genetic diversity most relevant to contemporary pressures. In addition to individual genes, genome‐wide architecture can itself evolve to enable adaptation. Distributed across a steep thermal gradient along the east coast of North America, Atlantic silversides (Menidia menidia) exhibit an extraordinary degree of local adaptation in a suite of traits, and the capacity for rapid adaptation from standing genetic variation, but we know little about the patterns of genomic variation across the species range that enable this remarkable adaptability. Here, we use low‐coverage, whole‐transcriptome sequencing of Atlantic silversides sampled along an environmental cline to show marked signatures of divergent selection across a gradient of neutral differentiation. Atlantic silversides sampled across 1371 km of the southern section of its distribution have very low genome‐wide differentiation (median F_ST = 0.006 across 1.9 million variants), consistent with historical connectivity and observations of recent migrants. Yet almost 14,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are nearly fixed (F_ST > 0.95) for alternate alleles. Highly differentiated SNPs cluster into four tight linkage disequilibrium (LD) blocks that span hundreds of genes and several megabases. Variants in these LD blocks are disproportionately nonsynonymous and concentrated in genes enriched for multiple functions related to known adaptations in silversides, including variation in lipid storage, metabolic rate, and spawning behavior. Elevated levels of absolute divergence and demographic modeling suggest selection maintaining divergence across these blocks under gene flow. These findings represent an extreme case of heterogeneity in levels of differentiation across the genome, and highlight how gene flow shapes genomic architecture in continuous populations. Locally adapted alleles may be common features of populations distributed along environmental gradients, and will likely be key to conserving variation to enable future responses to environmental change.

DNA methylation mediates differentiation in thermal responses of Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) derived from different tidal levels

Epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation have the potential to affect organism acclimatization and adaptation to environmental changes by influencing their phenotypic plasticity; however, little is known about the role of methylation in the adaptive phenotypic divergence of marine invertebrates. Therefore, in this study, a typical intertidal species, the Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas), was selected to investigate the epigenetic mechanism of phenotypic plasticity in marine invertebrates. Intertidal and subtidal oysters subjected to one-generation common garden experiments and exhibited phenotypic divergence were used. The methylation landscape of both groups of oysters was investigated under temperate and high temperature. The two tidal oysters exhibited divergent methylation patterns, regardless of the temperature, which was mainly original environment-induced. Intertidal samples exhibited significant hypomethylation and more plasticity of methylation in response to heat shock, while subtidal samples showed hypermethylation and less plasticity. Combined with RNA-seq data, a positive relationship between methylation and expression in gene bodies was detected on a genome-wide scale. In addition, approximately 11% and 7% of differentially expressed genes showed significant methylation variation under high temperatures in intertidal and subtidal samples, respectively. Genes related to apoptosis and organism development may be regulated by methylation in response to high temperature in intertidal oysters, whereas oxidation-reduction and ion homeostasis-related genes were involved in subtidal oysters. The results also suggest that DNA methylation mediates phenotypic divergence in oysters adapting to different environments. This study provides new insight into the epigenetic mechanisms underlying phenotypic plasticity in adaptation to rapid climate change in marine organisms.

Toxic impacts of rutile titanium dioxide in Mytilus galloprovincialis exposed to warming conditions

Climate change is leading to a gradual increase in the ocean temperature, which can cause physiological and biochemical impairments in aquatic organisms. Along with the environmental changes, the presence of emerging pollutants such as titanium dioxide (TiO₂) in marine coastal systems has also been a topic of concern, especially considering the interactive effects that both factors may present to inhabiting organisms. In the present study, it has been assessed the effects of the presence in water of particles of rutile, the most common polymorph of TiO₂, in Mytilus galloprovincialis, under actual and predicted warming conditions. Organisms were exposed to different concentrations of rutile (0, 5, 50, 100 μg/L) at control (18 ± 1.0 °C) and increased (22 ± 1.0 °C) temperatures. Histopathological and biochemical changes were evaluated in mussels after 28 days of exposure. Histopathological examination revealed similar alterations on mussels' gills and digestive glands with increasing rutile concentrations at both temperatures. Biochemical markers showed that contaminated mussels have an unchanged metabolic capacity at 18 °C, which increased at 22 °C. Although antioxidant defences were activated in contaminated organisms at 22 °C, cellular damage was still observed. Overall, our findings showed that histopathological impacts occurred after rutile exposure regardless of the temperature, while biochemical alterations were only significantly noticeable when temperature was enhanced to 22 °C. Thus, this study demonstrated that temperature rise may significantly enhance the sensitivity of bivalves towards emerging pollutants.

Hypoxia inducible factor-1α knockout does not impair acute thermal tolerance or heat hardening in zebrafish

The rapid increase in critical thermal maximum (CTmax) in fish (or other animals) previously exposed to critically high temperature is termed 'heat hardening', which likely represents a key strategy to cope with increasingly extreme environments. The physiological mechanisms that determine acute thermal tolerance, and the underlying pathways facilitating heat hardening, remain debated. It has been posited, however, that exposure to high temperature is associated with tissue hypoxia and may be associated with the increased expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (Hif-1). We studied acute thermal tolerance in zebrafish (Danio rerio) lacking functional Hif-1α paralogs (Hif-1aa and Hif-1ab double knockout; Hif-1α-/-), which are known to exhibit markedly reduced hypoxia tolerance. We hypothesized that Hif-1α-/- zebrafish would suffer reduced acute thermal tolerance relative to wild type and that the heat hardening ability would be lost. However, on the contrary, we observed that Hif-1α-/- and wild-type fish did not differ in CTmax, and both genotypes exhibited heat hardening of a similar degree when CTmax was re-tested 48 h later. Despite exhibiting impaired hypoxia tolerance, Hif-1α-/- zebrafish display unaltered thermal tolerance, suggesting that these traits are not necessarily functionally associated. Hif-1α is accordingly not required for short-term acclimation in the form of heat hardening.

Differential effects of hypothermal stress on lactate metabolism in fresh water- and seawater-acclimated milkfish, Chanos chanos

The milkfish Chanos chanos, an economically important cultured marine species in Southeast Asia, exhibits stenothermal and euryhaline characteristics and huge mortality usually occurs during extreme cold weather in winter. Under conditions beyond optimal temperatures, ectothermic species experience an increase in anaerobic glycolysis. To better understand the hypothermal acclimation response of this tropical species, the lactate metabolic profiles of freshwater (FW)- and seawater (SW)-acclimated milkfish were compared under control (optimal temperature; 28 °C) and hypothermal treatment (18 °C) conditions. In this study, the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) isoform genes, ldha and ldhb, were identified in milkfish livers and muscles, respectively. The LDH is a bidirectional enzyme that triggered the conversion of pyruvate to lactate via anaerobic glycolysis as LDH exhibits the reductase activity (LDH-R), while via the reverse direction as LDH exhibits the oxidase activity (LDH-O). The hypothermal stress significantly upregulated the LDH-R activity in the muscles and the monocarboxylate transporter activity in both muscles and livers, of SW- and FW-acclimated milkfish. The levels of blood lactate, however, decreased in SW-acclimated milkfish. Under hypothermal stress, anaerobic metabolism increased in the muscles of both FW and SW individuals, whereas the liver of SW-acclimated milkfish showed better acute phase capacity to utilize blood lactate than FW-acclimated milkfish. Taken together, in the present study, the major functions of the bidirectional enzyme LDH were identified according to its LDH-O and LDH-R activities. Furthermore, environmental salinities were found to affect the acute anaerobic metabolic strategies of euryhaline teleosts under hypothermal stress and were correlated with their hypothermal tolerance ability.

The influence of glacial melt and retreat on the nutritional condition of the bivalve Nuculana inaequisculpta (Protobranchia: Nuculanidae) in the West Antarctic Peninsula

Due to climate change, numerous ice bodies have been lost in the West Antarctic Peninsula (WAP). As a consequence, deglaciation is expected to impact the marine environment and its biota at physiological and ecosystem levels. Nuculana inaequisculpta is a marine bivalve widely distributed around Antarctica that plays an important role for ecosystem functioning. Considering that N. inaequisculpta inhabits coastal areas under effect of glacial melt and retreat, impacts on its nutritional condition are expected due to alterations on its physiology and food availability. To test this hypothesis, biochemical composition (lipids, proteins, and fatty acids) and energy content were measured in individuals of N. inaequisculpta collected in a fjord at different distances to the retreating glacier in the WAP. Oceanographic parameters of the top and bottom-water layers (temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, and chlorophyll-a) were measured to investigate how the environment changes along the fjord. Results showed that surface oceanographic parameters displayed a lower temperature and dissolved oxygen, but a higher salinity and chlorophyll-a content at nearest compared to farthest sites to the glacier. In contrast, a lower temperature and chlorophyll-a, and a higher salinity and dissolved oxygen was measured in the bottom-water layer toward the glacier. N. inaequisculpta had a higher amount of lipids (17.42 ± 3.24 vs. 12.16 ± 3.46%), protein (24.34 ± 6.12 vs. 21.05 ± 2.46%) and energy content (50.57 ± 6.97 J vs. 39.14 ± 5.80 J) in the farthest compared to the nearest site to the glacier. No differences were found in total fatty acids among all sites. It seems likely that lower individual fitness related to proximity to the glacier would not be related to nutritional quality of sediment food, but rather to food quantity.

Benthic fauna declined on a whitening Antarctic continental shelf

Ice retreat in West Antarctica and Antarctic Peninsula has led to important changes in seafloor communities and gains in benthic blue carbon. In most of the Antarctic, however, sea ice increased between the 1970s and 2014, but its effects on the benthos remain largely unexplored. Here, we provide a 1988-2014 record of macro- and megafauna from the north-eastern Weddell Sea shelf, where benthic biomass decreased by two thirds and composition shifted from suspension feeders to deposit feeders. Concomitant increases in sea-ice cover suggest a reduced flux of primary production to the benthos. As benthic communities are major repositories for Antarctic biodiversity and play an important role in biogeochemical cycling, the observed changes have far-reaching consequences for the Antarctic ecosystem and its feedback to the climate system. The findings underscore the importance of long-term ecological monitoring in a region vulnerable to warming and ice-shelf collapse.

Impact of marine heat waves and cold spell events on the bivalve Anomalocardia flexuosa: A seasonal comparison

The effects of increasing or decreasing extreme temperatures on bivalves depend on their physiological and biochemical capacity to respond to changes in ambient temperature. We tested the response of the clam Anomalocardia flexuosa to simulated marine heat waves and cold spells, under summer and winter experimental conditions. We sought information about physiological and biochemical parameters, as well as survival rates during two bioassays of 43 days each. The winter cold spell simulations showed that extreme temperatures acted as a physiological and biochemical stimulus, linked to an increase in metabolic rates, and consequently higher maintenance costs, as acclimatory strategies. On the other hand, the summer heat wave extreme temperatures exceeded the individuals' thermal tolerance limits, resulting in an inability to acclimate and a high mortality. These experiments suggest that A. flexuosa can be considered as a sensitive indicator of heat wave events.

Benthic ecoregionalization based on echinoid fauna of the Southern Ocean supports current proposals of Antarctic Marine Protected Areas under IPCC scenarios of climate change

The Southern Ocean (SO) is among the regions on Earth that are undergoing regionally the fastest environmental changes. The unique ecological features of its marine life make it particularly vulnerable to the multiple effects of climate change. A network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) has started to be implemented in the SO to protect marine ecosystems. However, considering future predictions of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the relevance of current, static, MPAs may be questioned under future scenarios. In this context, the ecoregionalization approach can prove promising in identifying well-delimited regions of common species composition and environmental settings. These so-called ecoregions are expected to show similar biotic responses to environmental changes and can be used to define priority areas for the designation of new MPAs and the update of their current delimitation. In the present work, a benthic ecoregionalization of the entire SO is proposed for the first time based on abiotic environmental parameters and the distribution of echinoid fauna, a diversified and common member of Antarctic benthic ecosystems. A novel two-step approach was developed combining species distribution modeling with Random Forest and Gaussian Mixture modeling from species probabilities to define current ecoregions and predict future ecoregions under IPCC scenarios RCP 4.5 and 8.5. The ecological representativity of current and proposed MPAs of the SO is discussed with regard to the modeled benthic ecoregions. In all, 12 benthic ecoregions were determined under present conditions, they are representative of major biogeographic patterns already described. Our results show that the most dramatic changes can be expected along the Antarctic Peninsula, in East Antarctica and the sub-Antarctic islands under both IPCC scenarios. Our results advocate for a dynamic definition of MPAs, they also argue for improving the representativity of Antarctic ecoregions in proposed MPAs and support current proposals of Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources for the creation of Antarctic MPAs.

Combined stress of ocean acidification and warming influence survival and drives differential gene expression patterns in the Antarctic pteropod, Limacina helicina antarctica

The ecologically important thecosome pteropods in the Limacina spp. complex have recently been the focus of studies examining the impacts global change factors - e.g., ocean acidification (OA) and ocean warming (OW) - on their performance and physiology. This focus is driven by conservation concerns where the health of pteropod populations is threatened by the high susceptibility of their shells to dissolution in low aragonite saturation states associated with OA and how coupling of these stressors may push pteropods past the limits of physiological plasticity. In this manipulation experiment, we describe changes in the transcriptome of the Antarctic pteropod, Limacina helicina antarctica, to these combined stressors. The conditions used in the laboratory treatments met or exceeded those projected for the Southern Ocean by the year 2100. We made two general observations regarding the outcome of the data: (1) Temperature was more influential than pH in terms of changing patterns of gene expression, and (2) these Antarctic pteropods appeared to have a significant degree of transcriptomic plasticity to respond to acute abiotic stress in the laboratory. In general, differential gene expression was observed amongst the treatments; here, for example, transcripts associated with maintaining protein structure and cell proliferation were up-regulated. To disentangle the effects of OA and OW, we used a weighted gene co-expression network analysis to explore patterns of change in the transcriptome. This approach identified gene networks associated with OW that were enriched for transcripts proposed to be involved in increasing membrane fluidity at warmer temperatures. Together these data provide evidence that L.h.antarctica has a limited capacity to acclimate to the combined conditions of OA and OW used in this study. This reduced scope of acclimation argues for continued study of how adaptation to polar aquatic environments may limit the plasticity of present-day populations in responding to future environmental change.

Mitochondrial Costs of Being Hot: Effects of Acute Thermal Change on Liver Bioenergetics in Toads (Bufo bufo)

Global climatic warming is predicted to drive extreme thermal events, especially in temperate terrestrial environments. Hence, describing how physiological parameters are affected by acute temperature changes would allow us to understand the energy management of organisms facing such non-predictable and constraining events. As mitochondria play a key role in the conversion of energy from food into ATP but also produce harmful reactive oxygen species, the understanding of its functioning is crucial to determine the proximal causes of potential decline in an animal's performance. Here we studied the effects of acute temperature changes (between 20 and 30°C) on mitochondrial respiration, ATP synthesis rate, oxidative phosphorylation efficiency (ATP/O), and H2O2 generation in isolated liver mitochondria of a terrestrial ectotherm, the common toad (Bufo bufo). Using succinate as the respiratory substrate, we found that the mitochondrial rates of oxygen consumption, ATP synthesis, and H2O2 generation increased as the temperature increased, being 65, 52, and 66% higher at 30°C than at 20°C, respectively. We also found that the mitochondrial coupling efficiency (ATP/O) decreased, while the oxidative cost of ATP production (H2O2/ATP ratio) increased. The present results further indicate that between 40 and 60% of temperature effects on mitochondrial ATP production and H2O2 generation was at minima driven by an action on the oxidative capacity of the mitochondria. These results suggest that B. bufo may need to allocate extra energy to maintain ATP production and protect cells from oxidative stress, reducing the energy allocable performances.

Future ocean warming may prove beneficial for the northern population of European seabass, but ocean acidification will not

The world's oceans are acidifying and warming as a result of increasing atmospheric CO₂ concentrations. The thermal tolerance of fish greatly depends on the cardiovascular ability to supply the tissues with oxygen. The highly oxygen-dependent heart mitochondria thus might play a key role in shaping an organism's tolerance to temperature. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of acute and chronic warming on the respiratory capacity of European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.) heart mitochondria. We hypothesized that acute warming would impair mitochondrial respiratory capacity, but be compensated for by life-time conditioning. Increasing P _CO2  may additionally cause shifts in metabolic pathways by inhibiting several enzymes of the cellular energy metabolism. Among other shifts in metabolic pathways, acute warming of heart mitochondria of cold life-conditioned fish increased leak respiration rate, suggesting a lower aerobic capacity to synthesize ATP with acute warming. However, thermal conditioning increased mitochondrial functionality, e.g. higher respiratory control ratios in heart mitochondria of warm life-conditioned compared with cold life-conditioned fish. Exposure to high P _CO2  synergistically amplified the effects of acute and long-term warming, but did not result in changes by itself. This high ability to maintain mitochondrial function under ocean acidification can be explained by the fact that seabass are generally able to acclimate to a variety of environmental conditions. Improved mitochondrial energy metabolism after warm conditioning could be due to the origin of this species in the warm waters of the Mediterranean. Our results also indicate that seabass are not yet fully adapted to the colder temperatures in their northern distribution range and might benefit from warmer temperatures in these latitudes.

Antarctic environmental change and biological responses

Antarctica and the surrounding Southern Ocean are facing complex environmental change. Their native biota has adapted to the region's extreme conditions over many millions of years. This unique biota is now challenged by environmental change and the direct impacts of human activity. The terrestrial biota is characterized by considerable physiological and ecological flexibility and is expected to show increases in productivity, population sizes and ranges of individual species, and community complexity. However, the establishment of non-native organisms in both terrestrial and marine ecosystems may present an even greater threat than climate change itself. In the marine environment, much more limited response flexibility means that even small levels of warming are threatening. Changing sea ice has large impacts on ecosystem processes, while ocean acidification and coastal freshening are expected to have major impacts.

Potential regulation by miRNAs on glucose metabolism in liver of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) at different temperatures

Water temperature can affect the metabolism of fish. Common carp (Cyprinus carpio) is a representative eurythermic fish that can survive at a wide range of ambient temperatures, allowing it to live in an extensive geographical range. The goal of this work was to study the glucose metabolism of common carp at different temperatures and determine the miRNAs involved in the regulation of glucose metabolism. We determined the indicators related to glucose metabolism after long-term temperature stress and constructed nine small RNA libraries of livers under different temperature stress (5 °C, 17 °C, and 30 °C, with three biological replicates for each temperature), and subjected these samples to high-throughput sequencing. A positive relationship was observed between weight gain rate (WGR) and temperature increase after 18 days of temperature stress. However, the glucose level in the plasma maintained a gentle decrease. Unexpectedly, liver lactic acid levels were elevated in HTG (high temperature group) and LTG (low temperature group). Six down-regulated miRNAs (miR-122, miR-30b, miR-15b-5p, miR-20a-5p, miR-1, and miR-7b) were identified as involved in the regulation of glycolysis. Twelve genes were predicted as targets of these miRNAs, and these genes are in pathways related to pyruvate metabolism, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, and the citrate cycle (TCA cycle). The results allowed prediction of a potential regulatory network of miRNAs involved in the regulation of glycolysis. The target genes of six down-regulated miRNAs were up-regulated under temperature stress, including Aldolase C, fructose-bisphosphate, b (ALDOCB), multiple inositol-polyphosphate phosphatase 1 (MINPP1), phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase 1 (PCK1), pyruvate dehydrogenase E1 alpha 1 (PDHA1), aldehyde dehydrogenase 9 family member A1a (ALDH9A1A), Acetyl-coenzyme A synthetase (ACSS), lactate dehydrogenase b (LDH-b), and glyoxylate reductase/hydroxypyruvate reductase (GRHPR). Other key genes of glycolysis, glucose transporter 1 (GLUT-1), pyruvate kinase PKM (PKM), and mitochondrial pyruvate carrier (MPC) were significantly up-regulated in LTG and HTG. Overall, the results suggest that miRNAs maintain their energy requirements by regulating glycolysis and play an important role in the molecular response to cold and heat stress of common carp. These data provide the foundation for further studies of the role of miRNAs in environmental adaptation in fish.