Few studies have evaluated the joint effects of elevated temperature and pCO2 on marine organisms. In this study we investigated the interactive effects of Intergovernmental Panel on Clinate Change predicted temperature and pCO2 for the end of the 21st century on key aspects of larval developm,ent of the American lobster, Homarus americanus, an otherwise well-studied, ...

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)

Appendicularians are free-swimming tunicates that are common in most oceans, coastal waters, and estuaries. They build delicate, gelatinous houses that they use to filter food from the water. This study found that appendicularian abundance increased with ocean acidification, warmer temperatures, and higher nutrient levels. This suggests that appendicularians will play ...

The world’s oceans contain an enormous reservoir of carbon, greater than either the terrestrial or atmospheric systems. The fluxes between these reservoirs are relatively rapid such that the oceans have taken up around 50% of the total carbon dioxide (CO2) released to the atmosphere via fossil fuel emissions and other ...

Copepods produced more eggs in warmer temperatures, but the increase was smaller when copepods were simultaneously exposed to warmer temperature and ocean acidification conditions (lower pH). When pH changed between egg production and hatching, fewer eggs hatched. Warmer egg production temperature induced a positive maternal effect and increased the egg ...

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)

Thermal sensitivity of spider crabs, as indicated by heart rate, rose under increasing levels of ocean acidification conditions. The results suggest a narrowing of the spider crab's thermal window under moderate increases in ocean acidification. (Laboratory study)