Ocean acidification (OA) is posing a significant threat to marine biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. This review highlights the current state of knowledge and gaps on biological responses of benthic shelled invertebrates to OA. A substantial research accomplished during the last decade demonstrated that the key invertebrates such as corals, oysters, mussels, crustaceans, echinoderms would be severely affected by this phenomenon in the near future. The effects are varied among taxa and life stages within taxa; heavily calcified (mussel, oyster, gastropods) are more sensitive than less calcified invertebrates (crabs, copepods, tanaids), and larval stage are more vulnerable than adult stage. When all taxa are considered together, OA has a significant negative effect on calcification, growth and survival, development and abundance. Most of the studies conducted in vitro for short-term basis using single species and single stressor which may not reflect the real ecosystem scenario. Experiments combining multiple stressors (temperature, hypercapnia, hypoxia, nutrients) have just been initiated. Still, field data at community and ecosystem level are lacking. The variety of biological response observed at the organism level might prevent extrapolation at the community and ecosystem level. Therefore, for improved comprehension of marine ecosystem response to OA needs manipulative experiments on the community level.
Belal Hossain M. & Rahman M., 2017. Ocean acidification: an impending disaster to benthic shelled invertebrates and ecosystem. Journal of Noakhali Science and Technology University (JNSTU) 1(1):19-30. Article.
