Highlights
- Impacts of ocean acidification on bivalve gonadal rematuration were examined.
- Sex can significantly affect physiological performances under acidified conditions.
- Females are more vulnerable to OA than males during gonadal rematuration.
Abstract
Ocean acidification (OA) can affect marine bivalves at various levels of biological organization. Yet, little effort has been devoted to understanding how OA affects the reproductive events of marine bivalves during multiple cycles of maturation. Here, we tested sex-specific reproductive responses of Manila clams (Ruditapes philippinarum) to OA during gonadal rematuration. Under acidified conditions, both male and female clams exhibited delayed gonadal rematuration following spawning and impairments in gonadal tissues, which can be likely ascribed to lowered concentrations of hormones and vitellogenin. The findings indicate that marine bivalves experience significant declines in reproductive capacity as a result of OA during their reproductive cycles, with clear sex-specific differences. Consequently, it is essential to consider sex-specific reproduction responses of marine bivalves to OA when developing conservation strategies and forecasting population sustainability in a rapidly acidifying marine environment.
Jiang X., Masanja F., Li W., Li J., Xu L., Xu Y., Luo X., Liu Y. & Zhao L., 2024. Gonadal rematuration and sex-specific reproductive impairment in Manila clams under ocean acidification. Marine Pollution Bulletin 208: 116970. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116970. Article (subscription required).
