Highlights
- None of the species showed changes in the immune function in response to OA or OW.
- FA associated with cell membrane fluidity wasn’t affected in both species.
- 20:5n-3 and 20:1n-9 FA were negatively impacted in A. eightsii under OW.
- Both species appear capable of maintaining stable FA levels in these conditions.
Abstract
Ocean acidification (OA) and ocean warming (OW) are likely to alter the biochemical composition of certain organisms as a physiological response to these changing environmental conditions. Given the importance of fatty acids (FA) in energy transfer within marine food webs, this two-month laboratory study examines the response of two calcifying species from Potter Cove (Antarctica) – the bivalve Aequiyoldia eightsii and the coral Malacobelemnon daytoni – to predicted OA and OW, focusing on their FA profiles. Neither species showed significant changes compared to the control group in the composition of FA ratios associated with immune function and cell membrane fluidity in response to either OA or OW. Additionally, the FA composition related to inflammatory responses remained largely unaffected by the stressors, although the 20:5n-3 FA was negatively impacted in A. eightsii under high-temperature conditions. Overall, the FA composition in these species appears robust to near-future environmental changes.
Servetto N., De Troch M., Gazeau F., de Aranzamendi C., Alurralde G., González G. & Sahade R., 2025. Fatty acid response of calcifying benthic Antarctic species to ocean acidification and warming. Marine Pollution Bulletin 217: 118111. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2025.118111. Article.
