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Jellison BM, Elsmore KE, Miller JT, Ng G, Ninokawa AT, Hill TM, Gaylord B. Low‐pH seawater alters indirect interactions in rocky‐shore tidepools. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8607. [PMID: 35169457 PMCID: PMC8840877 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Ocean acidification is expected to degrade marine ecosystems, yet most studies focus on organismal‐level impacts rather than ecological perturbations. Field studies are especially sparse, particularly ones examining shifts in direct and indirect consumer interactions. Here we address such connections within tidepool communities of rocky shores, focusing on a three‐level food web involving the keystone sea star predator, Pisaster ochraceus, a common herbivorous snail, Tegula funebralis, and a macroalgal basal resource, Macrocystis pyrifera. We demonstrate that during nighttime low tides, experimentally manipulated declines in seawater pH suppress the anti‐predator behavior of snails, bolstering their grazing, and diminishing the top‐down influence of predators on basal resources. This attenuation of top‐down control is absent in pools maintained experimentally at higher pH. These findings suggest that as ocean acidification proceeds, shifts of behaviorally mediated links in food webs could change how cascading effects of predators manifest within marine communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany M. Jellison
- Department of Biological Sciences University of New Hampshire Durham New Hampshire USA
| | - Kristen E. Elsmore
- Bodega Marine Laboratory University of California Davis Bodega Bay California USA
| | - Jeffrey T. Miller
- Minnesota Supercomputing Institute University of Minnesota Minneapolis Minnesota USA
| | - Gabriel Ng
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center Edgewater Maryland USA
- Marine Invasions Laboratory Estuary Ocean Science Center Tiburon California USA
| | - Aaron T. Ninokawa
- Bodega Marine Laboratory University of California Davis Bodega Bay California USA
| | - Tessa M. Hill
- Bodega Marine Laboratory University of California Davis Bodega Bay California USA
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences University of California Davis Davis California USA
| | - Brian Gaylord
- Bodega Marine Laboratory University of California Davis Bodega Bay California USA
- Department of Evolution and Ecology University of California Davis Davis California USA
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2
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Ricart AM, Ward M, Hill TM, Sanford E, Kroeker KJ, Takeshita Y, Merolla S, Shukla P, Ninokawa AT, Elsmore K, Gaylord B. Coast-wide evidence of low pH amelioration by seagrass ecosystems. Glob Chang Biol 2021; 27:2580-2591. [PMID: 33788362 PMCID: PMC8252054 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Global-scale ocean acidification has spurred interest in the capacity of seagrass ecosystems to increase seawater pH within crucial shoreline habitats through photosynthetic activity. However, the dynamic variability of the coastal carbonate system has impeded generalization into whether seagrass aerobic metabolism ameliorates low pH on physiologically and ecologically relevant timescales. Here we present results of the most extensive study to date of pH modulation by seagrasses, spanning seven meadows (Zostera marina) and 1000 km of U.S. west coast over 6 years. Amelioration by seagrass ecosystems compared to non-vegetated areas occurred 65% of the time (mean increase 0.07 ± 0.008 SE). Events of continuous elevation in pH within seagrass ecosystems, indicating amelioration of low pH, were longer and of greater magnitude than opposing cases of reduced pH or exacerbation. Sustained elevations in pH of >0.1, comparable to a 30% decrease in [H+ ], were not restricted only to daylight hours but instead persisted for up to 21 days. Maximal pH elevations occurred in spring and summer during the seagrass growth season, with a tendency for stronger effects in higher latitude meadows. These results indicate that seagrass meadows can locally alleviate low pH conditions for extended periods of time with important implications for the conservation and management of coastal ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurora M. Ricart
- Bodega Marine Laboratory – University of CaliforniaDavisCAUSA
- Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean SciencesEast BoothbayMEUSA
| | - Melissa Ward
- Bodega Marine Laboratory – University of CaliforniaDavisCAUSA
| | - Tessa M. Hill
- Bodega Marine Laboratory – University of CaliforniaDavisCAUSA
- Department of Earth and Planetary SciencesUniversity of California, DavisDavisCAUSA
| | - Eric Sanford
- Bodega Marine Laboratory – University of CaliforniaDavisCAUSA
- Department of Evolution and EcologyUniversity of California, DavisDavisCAUSA
| | | | | | - Sarah Merolla
- Bodega Marine Laboratory – University of CaliforniaDavisCAUSA
| | - Priya Shukla
- Bodega Marine Laboratory – University of CaliforniaDavisCAUSA
| | | | - Kristen Elsmore
- Bodega Marine Laboratory – University of CaliforniaDavisCAUSA
| | - Brian Gaylord
- Bodega Marine Laboratory – University of CaliforniaDavisCAUSA
- Department of Evolution and EcologyUniversity of California, DavisDavisCAUSA
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Gaylord B, Barclay KM, Jellison BM, Jurgens LJ, Ninokawa AT, Rivest EB, Leighton LR. Ocean change within shoreline communities: from biomechanics to behaviour and beyond. Conserv Physiol 2019; 7:coz077. [PMID: 31754431 PMCID: PMC6855281 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coz077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2019] [Revised: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Humans are changing the physical properties of Earth. In marine systems, elevated carbon dioxide concentrations are driving notable shifts in temperature and seawater chemistry. Here, we consider consequences of such perturbations for organism biomechanics and linkages amongst species within communities. In particular, we examine case examples of altered morphologies and material properties, disrupted consumer-prey behaviours, and the potential for modulated positive (i.e. facilitative) interactions amongst taxa, as incurred through increasing ocean acidity and rising temperatures. We focus on intertidal rocky shores of temperate seas as model systems, acknowledging the longstanding role of these communities in deciphering ecological principles. Our survey illustrates the broad capacity for biomechanical and behavioural shifts in organisms to influence the ecology of a transforming world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Gaylord
- Bodega Marine Laboratory, University of California at Davis, 2099 Westshore Road, Bodega Bay, CA 94923, USA
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California at Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
- Corresponding author:
| | - Kristina M Barclay
- Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Department, 1-26 Earth Sciences Building, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E3, Canada
| | - Brittany M Jellison
- Biology Department, Bowdoin College, 255 Main Street, Brunswick, ME 04011, USA
| | - Laura J Jurgens
- Marine Biology Department, Texas A&M University at Galveston, 200 Seawolf Parkway, Galveston, TX 77553, USA
| | - Aaron T Ninokawa
- Bodega Marine Laboratory, University of California at Davis, 2099 Westshore Road, Bodega Bay, CA 94923, USA
| | - Emily B Rivest
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, William & Mary, 1370 Greate Road, Gloucester Point, VA 23062, USA
| | - Lindsey R Leighton
- Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Department, 1-26 Earth Sciences Building, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E3, Canada
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Jellison BM, Ninokawa AT, Hill TM, Sanford E, Gaylord B. Ocean acidification alters the response of intertidal snails to a key sea star predator. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 283:rspb.2016.0890. [PMID: 27358371 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.0890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2016] [Accepted: 06/10/2016] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Organism-level effects of ocean acidification (OA) are well recognized. Less understood are OA's consequences for ecological species interactions. Here, we examine a behaviourally mediated predator-prey interaction within the rocky intertidal zone of the temperate eastern Pacific Ocean, using it as a model system to explore OA's capacity to impair invertebrate anti-predator behaviours more broadly. Our system involves the iconic sea star predator, Pisaster ochraceus, that elicits flee responses in numerous gastropod prey. We examine, in particular, the capacity for OA-associated reductions in pH to alter flight behaviours of the black turban snail, Tegula funebralis, an often-abundant and well-studied grazer in the system. We assess interactions between these species at 16 discrete levels of pH, quantifying the full functional response of Tegula under present and near-future OA conditions. Results demonstrate the disruption of snail anti-predator behaviours at low pH, with decreases in the time individuals spend in refuge locations. We also show that fluctuations in pH, including those typical of rock pools inhabited by snails, do not materially change outcomes, implying little capacity for episodically benign pH conditions to aid behavioural recovery. Together, these findings suggest a strong potential for OA to induce cascading community-level shifts within this long-studied ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Aaron T Ninokawa
- Bodega Marine Laboratory, 2099 Westshore Road, Bodega Bay, CA 94923, USA
| | - Tessa M Hill
- Bodega Marine Laboratory, 2099 Westshore Road, Bodega Bay, CA 94923, USA Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Eric Sanford
- Bodega Marine Laboratory, 2099 Westshore Road, Bodega Bay, CA 94923, USA Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Brian Gaylord
- Bodega Marine Laboratory, 2099 Westshore Road, Bodega Bay, CA 94923, USA Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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Swezey DS, Bean JR, Hill TM, Gaylord B, Ninokawa AT, Sanford E. Plastic responses of bryozoans to ocean acidification. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 220:4399-4409. [PMID: 28939560 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.163436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2017] [Accepted: 09/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity has the potential to allow organisms to respond rapidly to global environmental change, but the range and effectiveness of these responses are poorly understood across taxa and growth strategies. Colonial organisms might be particularly resilient to environmental stressors, as organizational modularity and successive asexual generations can allow for distinctively flexible responses in the aggregate form. We performed laboratory experiments to examine the effects of increasing dissolved carbon dioxide (CO2) (i.e. ocean acidification) on the colonial bryozoan Celleporella cornuta sampled from two source populations within a coastal upwelling region of the northern California coast. Bryozoan colonies were remarkably plastic under these CO2 treatments. Colonies raised under high CO2 grew more quickly, investing less in reproduction and producing lighter skeletons when compared with genetically identical clones raised under current surface atmosphere CO2 values. Bryozoans held under high CO2 conditions also changed the Mg/Ca ratio of skeletal calcite and increased the expression of organic coverings in new growth, which may serve as protection against acidified water. We also observed strong differences between source populations in reproductive investment and organic covering reaction norms, consistent with adaptive responses to persistent spatial variation in local oceanographic conditions. Our results demonstrate that phenotypic plasticity and energetic trade-offs can mediate biological responses to global environmental change, and highlight the broad range of strategies available to colonial organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel S Swezey
- Bodega Marine Laboratory, University of California, Davis, 2099 Westshore Road, Bodega Bay, CA 94923, USA
| | - Jessica R Bean
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Davis, One Shields Ave, Davis, CA 95616, USA.,University of California Museum of Paleontology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-4780, USA
| | - Tessa M Hill
- Bodega Marine Laboratory, University of California, Davis, 2099 Westshore Road, Bodega Bay, CA 94923, USA.,Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Davis, One Shields Ave, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Brian Gaylord
- Bodega Marine Laboratory, University of California, Davis, 2099 Westshore Road, Bodega Bay, CA 94923, USA.,Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, One Shields Ave, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Aaron T Ninokawa
- Bodega Marine Laboratory, University of California, Davis, 2099 Westshore Road, Bodega Bay, CA 94923, USA
| | - Eric Sanford
- Bodega Marine Laboratory, University of California, Davis, 2099 Westshore Road, Bodega Bay, CA 94923, USA.,Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, One Shields Ave, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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6
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Swezey DS, Bean JR, Ninokawa AT, Hill TM, Gaylord B, Sanford E. Interactive effects of temperature, food and skeletal mineralogy mediate biological responses to ocean acidification in a widely distributed bryozoan. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 284:rspb.2016.2349. [PMID: 28424343 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.2349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2016] [Accepted: 03/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Marine invertebrates with skeletons made of high-magnesium calcite may be especially susceptible to ocean acidification (OA) due to the elevated solubility of this form of calcium carbonate. However, skeletal composition can vary plastically within some species, and it is largely unknown how concurrent changes in multiple oceanographic parameters will interact to affect skeletal mineralogy, growth and vulnerability to future OA. We explored these interactive effects by culturing genetic clones of the bryozoan Jellyella tuberculata (formerly Membranipora tuberculata) under factorial combinations of dissolved carbon dioxide (CO2), temperature and food concentrations. High CO2 and cold temperature induced degeneration of zooids in colonies. However, colonies still maintained high growth efficiencies under these adverse conditions, indicating a compensatory trade-off whereby colonies degenerate more zooids under stress, redirecting energy to the growth and maintenance of new zooids. Low-food concentration and elevated temperatures also had interactive effects on skeletal mineralogy, resulting in skeletal calcite with higher concentrations of magnesium, which readily dissolved under high CO2 For taxa that weakly regulate skeletal magnesium concentration, skeletal dissolution may be a more widespread phenomenon than is currently documented and is a growing concern as oceans continue to warm and acidify.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel S Swezey
- Bodega Marine Laboratory, University of California, Davis, 2099 Westshore Road, Bodega Bay, CA 94923, USA
| | - Jessica R Bean
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA.,Museum of Paleontology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-4780, USA
| | - Aaron T Ninokawa
- Bodega Marine Laboratory, University of California, Davis, 2099 Westshore Road, Bodega Bay, CA 94923, USA
| | - Tessa M Hill
- Bodega Marine Laboratory, University of California, Davis, 2099 Westshore Road, Bodega Bay, CA 94923, USA.,Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Brian Gaylord
- Bodega Marine Laboratory, University of California, Davis, 2099 Westshore Road, Bodega Bay, CA 94923, USA.,Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Eric Sanford
- Bodega Marine Laboratory, University of California, Davis, 2099 Westshore Road, Bodega Bay, CA 94923, USA.,Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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