This study determined the pH tolerance of the embryonic and larval stages of hard clams and oysters. (Laboratory study)

At an oyster hatchery on the Oregon coast, researchers found that production of oyster larvae and growth of young oysters dropped when the aragonite saturation state decreased in seawater. (Laboratory study)

Estuarine waters are more susceptible to acidification because they are subject to multiple acid sources and are less buffered than marine waters. Consequently, estuarine shell-forming species may experience acidification sooner than marine species although, the tolerance of estuarine calcifiers to pH changes is poorly understood. This study analyzed 23 years ...

The shell calcification rates of small hard clams in five size classes (0.39, 0.56, 0.78, 0.98, and 2.90 mm shell height) decreased with increasingly severe ocean acidification conditions (pH 8.02, 7.64, and 7.41). Clams in the larger sizes were able to deposit new shell material even under corrosive conditions. However, ...

The shells of eastern oysters from the Chesapeake Bay dissolved at faster rates when exposed to increasingly severe ocean acidification conditions. Oysters with fresh shells dissolved at the fastest rate, followed by oysters with weathered shells and those with dredged shells. (Laboratory study)

Eighteen marine species exposed to ocean acidification conditions for 60 days exhibited a wide range of responses. Ten of the 18 species were affected negatively with lower rates of net calcification and, in some cases, net loss of shell. Those species included temperate corals, pencil urchins, hard clams, conchs, serpulid ...

Survival of dispersing larvae represents a critical bottleneck that influences the population size of zebra mussels.

This article provides an overview of how rivers, which tend to be acidic compared to the ocean, affect shellfish, with a focus on the Gulf of Maine.

Ocean acidification and/or warmer temperatures may affect immune response, parasite abundance and diversity, and bacterial infection of blue mussels. (Laboratory study)

After six months exposure, warmer temperatures, but not ocean acidification, significantly reduced the shell strength of blue mussels, which were fed for a limited period of only 4-6 hours per day. The rising temperatures seemed to affect shell strength indirectly, as the mussels apparently re-allocated energy from shell formation to ...