Ocean Acidification

Highlights

• Ocean acidification, but not warming, drives proteomic response in Northern Shrimp.
• Shrimp from different origins show distinct molecular responses to ocean acidification.
• St. Lawrence shrimp display the strongest protein changes to ocean acidification.
• Local conditions shape how shrimp cope with global change drivers.
• Conservation plans must consider regional differences in shrimp responses.

Abstract

The Northern shrimp (Pandalus borealis) is an ecologically important species and the target of one of the world’Canas largest shellfish fisheries. Yet, its habitats are rapidly changing due to human-driven climate change, with temperatures projected to increase by ∼4 °C and seawater pH to decline by 0.3 pH units the end of the century. These stressors may cause interactive effects, with responses differing among origins due to local adaptation or long-term acclimatisation. We investigated the impacts of ocean warming and acidification (individually and combined) on the proteome of female P. borealis from four geographic origins. Shrimp proteomes responded to ocean acidification, but not to warming, with marked origin-specific differences. Comparing the most favourable condition (2 °C, pH 7.75) to low pH (7.35) across tested temperatures, we detected 109 differentially abundant proteins (DAPs) in shrimp from the Saint Lawrence Estuary (SLE), six in those from the Northeast Newfoundland Coast (NNC) and Eastern Scotian Shelf (ESS), and three in the Esquiman Channel (EC). SLE shrimp showed widespread downregulation across metabolic, genetic information processing, and signalling pathways, suggesting higher sensitivity to acidification relative to other origins, where responses were muted. These findings highlight intraspecific variation in proteomic responses to ocean acidification in this commercially valuable crustacean. They confirm ocean acidification as a major concern in the context of rapid environmental change and suggest that uniform conservation strategies may be ineffective. Instead, management efforts should account for origin-specific sensitivities, reflecting the complex adaptive landscape shaping the resilience of P. borealis and other exploited marine species.

Page T. M., Rosado M., Mendes V. M., Guscelli E., Fernandes J. F., Chabot D., Calado R., Manadas B., Calosi P. & Madeira D., 2026. Northern shrimp exhibit origin-specific proteomic remodelling under ocean acidification, with limited response to ocean warming. Marine Pollution Bulletin 225: 119152. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2025.119152. Article.