Continuously-increasing concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide CO2, primarily through the burning of fossil fuels, are rapidly increasing the oceanic concentrations of CO2 and leading to the phenomenon of ocean acidification. Evidence to date on the effects of altered seawater chemistry on the biota is growing, yet is in its infancy. Evidence of effects is limited mostly to fish, molluscs and echinoderms, yet there is a growing body of evidence of effects of ocean acidification on the Crustacea. Our predictive ability on physiological effects and the potential ecosystem level effects is currently limited. By posing fundamental questions, the answers may lie in implementing mechanistic-level studies in order to elucidate organism physiological limits and species’ potential to adapt to future oceanic conditions.
Dissanayake A., 2014. Ocean acidification and warming effects on Crustacea: possible future scenarios. In: Goffredo S. & Dubinsky Z. (Eds.), The Mediterranean Sea, pp. 363-372. Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands. Book chapter (subscription required).
