Seafood provides an essential source of macro- and micronutrients for coastal communities worldwide. Climate change is a key threat to seafood security, altering the sizes, abundances, distributions, physiology and ecological interactions of fisheries species, and increasingly, there is evidence of impacts to seafood nutritional quality. In a 12-week mesocosm experiment, we tested the influence of projected ocean warming and acidification scenarios on the growth and lipid quality of juvenile sand whiting (Sillago ciliata), a popular fisheries species in eastern Australia. The growth of S. ciliata significantly increased (by 61% body weight) under elevated temperature (+3°C) but was not affected by acidification treatment levels. Lipidomic analysis revealed no influence of temperature or acidification on total lipid content or the composition and total proportions of lipid classes and subclasses. However, elevated temperatures significantly impacted the overall composition of fatty acids, including a shift toward higher saturation and a decline in important omega-3 fatty acids. Fish exposed to elevated temperature treatments had more saturated fatty acids than those at control temperatures, along with reduced levels of the valuable omega-3 eicosapentaenoic (C20:5) and docosahexaenoic (C22:6) fatty acids. Despite impacting fatty acid composition in S. ciliata, the increased growth of the juvenile whiting, if sustained into adulthood, under elevated temperatures, may help compensate for the overall availability of essential polyunsaturated fatty acids to support consumer nutritional requirements. These findings contribute to the growing body of evidence on variable climate resilience in nearshore species to future environmental conditions and the implications for the trophic transfer of nutrients in estuarine ecosystems.
Continue reading ‘Temperature, but not acidification, influences the growth and lipid profile of juvenile sand whiting, Sillago ciliata (Cuvier 1829)’Posts Tagged 'temperature'
Temperature, but not acidification, influences the growth and lipid profile of juvenile sand whiting, Sillago ciliata (Cuvier 1829)
Published 18 June 2026 Science ClosedTags: biological response, fish, Indian, mesocosms, morphology, multiple factors, physiology, reproduction, temperature
Response of HAB-forming microalgae competition to ocean acidification, warming, and changing light fields
Published 17 June 2026 Science ClosedTags: algae, biological response, BRcommunity, community composition, growth, laboratory, light, multiple factors, otherprocess, phytoplankton, temperature
In recent years, the East China Sea (ECS) has experienced frequent harmful algal blooms (HABs), driven by the complex interplay of climate change—specifically ocean warming and acidification—and eutrophication-induced light attenuation. Despite their ecological significance, the interactive effects of these environmental stressors on the competitive dynamics between bloom-forming microalgae remain poorly understood. This study aimed to elucidate how warming, reduced light, and elevated CO2 influence the competition between two dominant diatoms. We conducted controlled monoculture and mixed-culture experiments using two key species: Skeletonema costatum and Chaetoceros curvisetus. The experimental design incorporated varying levels of CO2, temperature, and light intensity to simulate future coastal scenarios. Growth rates, peak cell densities, and successional patterns were monitored to assess competitive outcomes under multiple stressors. Monoculture results indicated that high temperature and low light intensity promoted the growth of both species. However, in mixed cultures, these conditions significantly accelerated the time to reach peak density and induced a definitive successional shift from S. costatum to C. curvisetus. Notably, while the general successional pattern was consistent, elevated CO2 further enhanced the competitive advantage of C. curvisetus, particularly when combined with high-temperature and low-light scenarios. These findings suggest that the synergy of future warming, declining light availability, and intensified ocean acidification in the ECS will likely favor C. curvisetus over S. costatum. This shift may increase the frequency of HAB events dominated by C. curvisetus, driving significant climate-related restructuring of phytoplankton communities in coastal ecosystems.
Continue reading ‘Response of HAB-forming microalgae competition to ocean acidification, warming, and changing light fields’A screening approach for aquaculture breeders based on sperm performance under climate change-related stress
Published 4 June 2026 Science ClosedTags: biological response, BRcommunity, fish, laboratory, multiple factors, performance, reproduction, temperature
Highlights
- Temperature rise reduced European sea bass and Senegalese sole sperm motility.
- Gilthead seabream sperm showed lower variation under acidification and warming.
- Challenge tests allowed differentiation among males based on sperm performance.
- Approach provides a screening framework for sperm performance.
Abstract
We aimed to develop a screening approach to differentiate among males of European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax), gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata), and Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis) based on sperm performance under environmental acidification and temperature increase. Sperm samples were selected using a CASA system, and three challenge tests were applied. The first one consisted of sperm activation with artificial seawater (ASW) across a pH range (7.6–8.2). The second assessed activation at species-specific temperatures. The third test evaluated the combined effect of ASW pH (7.8 and 8.2) and different temperatures. Results from the third challenge test revealed differences in sperm performance under environmental variations, allowing differentiation among males. For this purpose, sperm motility values obtained for each sample under species-specific natural environmental conditions were used as references, and variations in motility were compared across challenge conditions. Different levels in the criteria (regarding the different percentages of motility variation) were applied to differentiate among males. The temperature increase affected the sperm kinetic parameters of European sea bass and Senegalese sole, while gilthead seabream sperm showed lower variation under seawater acidification and rising temperatures. The challenge test allowed differentiation among males based on sperm performance under environmental variations and represents a preliminary screening approach. However, these results are based on in vitro conditions and should be interpreted as a first proxy, requiring further validation to establish links with reproductive performance in vivo.
Continue reading ‘A screening approach for aquaculture breeders based on sperm performance under climate change-related stress’Chemical cues and molecular mechanisms suspected in abiotic stress communication
Published 1 June 2026 Science ClosedTags: annelids, biological response, BRcommunity, fish, multiple factors, performance, physiology, reproduction, review, temperature
For nearly a century, scientists have tried to resolve the sensory physiology of chemical communication caused by predation stress. Only recently have we evidenced that abiotic stressors from a changing world, such as heat and ocean acidification, also trigger chemical communication between aquatic organisms – which we dubbed abiotic stress communication. Generally, the behavioural and physiological response to stress-induced cues are well understood, whereas the molecular mechanisms – cue identities, pathways of release, and perception – of this stress communication remain unresolved. Here, we propose a framework to organize the existing evidence for candidate mechanisms involved in abiotic stress-induced chemical communication, focusing on heat and acidification as two major abiotic stressors with environmental relevance. Drawing on transcriptomic, metabolomic and behavioural evidence, we propose that stressor-specific communication likely involves multiple cues and parallel routes rather than a single mechanism, such as membrane-related processes. We call for integrative work that links -omics with chemical profiling and ecological function assays to uncover the mechanisms of abiotic stress communication.
Continue reading ‘Chemical cues and molecular mechanisms suspected in abiotic stress communication’Extending planktic foraminiferal Mg/Ca palaeothermometry into polar temperature ranges: crust- and lamellae specific calibrations and non-thermal controls
Published 15 May 2026 Science ClosedTags: biological response, laboratory, multiple factors, paleo, protists, temperature
The rapidity of climate change in the polar regions underscores the need for improved understanding of its impacts on ocean circulation at both regional and global scales. Reconstructions of past polar ocean-cryosphere interactions can provide this context, but large uncertainties in existing proxies limit the utility of such studies. For instance, there are currently no low-temperature (<9 °C) culture-based Mg/Ca-calibrations for planktic foraminifera, a key tool for reconstructing past changes in ocean temperatures. There is also limited understanding of non-thermal influences on Mg/Ca in Neogloboquadrina pachyderma, the only modern polar planktic foraminifera. Moreover, this species exhibits considerable levels of heterogeneity in composition precipitating a thick lower-Mg/Ca outer crust over higher Mg/Ca inner lamellae calcite; specimens with predominantly, albeit variable crust–lamellae proportions, are thus thought to introduce substantial uncertainty into high-latitude palaeotemperature reconstructions. Here, we used N. pachyderma cultured across a range of temperatures, salinities, and carbonate chemistry conditions including experiments in which pH and [CO32-] either covaried or were decoupled. By using a laser ablation approach to analyse crust and lamellae separately, we present new Mg/Ca-temperature calibrations for each component that extend culture-based calibrations in N. pachyderma down to the lower temperature-range (2–9 °C). The crust-specific calibration is of particular importance in high-latitude downcore records where N. pachyderma are commonly observed to preserve predominantly or only crust. Our results show significant carbonate chemistry influence on Mg/Ca with opposite influences from pH and carbonate ion concentration, when these variables changed in isolation. Additionally, we show that environmental conditions regulate crust-lamellar proportions, where increased salinity and temperature, and lower pH lead to less crust formation with implications for future ocean acidification and Arctic Atlantification, and for downcore reconstructions.
Continue reading ‘Extending planktic foraminiferal Mg/Ca palaeothermometry into polar temperature ranges: crust- and lamellae specific calibrations and non-thermal controls’Divergent responses of the diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii to ocean acidification during light and dark periods
Published 11 May 2026 Science ClosedTags: biological response, laboratory, light, multiple factors, physiology, phytoplankton, temperature
Given the limited understanding of discrepancies in responses of diatoms to ocean acidification (OA), we comparatively investigated the physiological and transcriptional performances of a diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii acclimated to OA (pHt drop of 0.35–0.41) between day and night periods. We found that OA enhanced its specific growth rate (up to 10%) in the light period by upregulating light reaction, Calvin cycle and H+ pumps to cope with the decreased pH. On the other hand, OA reduced its apparent specific growth rate (14%) in the dark period due to additive pH drop caused by OA-enhanced respiratory CO2 release. In the dark period, the cells could not effectively cope with the decreased pH since H+ pumps were downregulated. Consequently, OA did not affect cell growth during a 24 h diel cycle. These findings suggest that daytime positive and night negative effects of OA on diatoms could be responsible for differential results observed under different conditions, with implications for possible seasonal and latitudinal effects of OA.
Scientific Significance Statement
Progressive ocean acidification (OA) due to continuous dissolution of anthropogenic CO2 into seawater is known to affect diatoms that contribute to approximately 20% of the Earth’s primary production. However, impacts of OA on diatoms through a daily cycle remain poorly understood. Our data provide compelling evidence from both physiological and molecular aspects that OA enhances growth of a diatom during the light period by upregulating its photosynthetic CO2 fixation against the stress of decreased pH, but decreases its apparent specific growth rate during the night period due to the aggravated stress of pH drop from respiratory CO2 release overlaid with OA. These findings align well with transcriptional imprints, suggesting the essential role of light in modulating the effects of OA on diatoms, with implications for possible seasonal and latitudinal effects of OA given the changing lengths of daytime.
Continue reading ‘Divergent responses of the diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii to ocean acidification during light and dark periods’Controls on boron isotope ratios in marine bivalve shells: insights from a controlled experiment across pH and temperature gradients
Published 8 May 2026 Science ClosedTags: biological response, BRcommunity, calcification, chemistry, growth, mollusks, multiple factors, reproduction, temperature
Documenting spatial and temporal patterns of ocean acidification and understanding the way marine organisms build carbonate skeletons is critical to assessing their potential vulnerability to present and future stressors. The boron isotopic composition (δ11Bc) of many marine carbonates provides insight into the pH at the site of calcification within biocalcifiers and, by extension, the pH of ambient seawater when the carbonate formed. The modification of seawater carbonate chemistry at the site of calcification by marine calcifiers and the utility of different taxa as paleo-pH proxy archives remains an area of active research. Despite the significance of marine bivalves to ecosystem function, high-resolution paleoclimatic studies, and the shellfish industry, their biocalcification mechanisms, controls on internal pH, and potential for reconstructing records of past seawater pH remain unclear. To address these gaps, a 20.5-week flowthrough tank experiment was conducted in which four species of commercially important bivalves from the northwest Atlantic Ocean were grown in tanks with controlled pHT (pH 7.4 to 8.0) and temperature conditions (6 to 12 °C). A total of 106 shell samples from 99 individuals of adult and juvenile Arctica islandica (ocean quahog), juvenile Mercenaria mercenaria (northern quahog or hard clam), juvenile Mya arenaria (soft-shell clam) and juvenile Placopecten magellanicus (Atlantic sea scallop) were analyzed from this controlled experiment to assess the seawater pH, temperature, and growth rate controls on shell δ11Bc.These four bivalve species, grown under identical, controlled conditions, showed differential responses to the same seawater temperature and pH, likely due to differences in how they regulate the pH of their internal fluids. Juvenile P. magellanicus and juvenile M. mercenaria demonstrated significant relationships (R≥0.60; p-value <0.006) between tank pHT and δ11Bc, suggesting potential utility as proxies for past ambient seawater pH. Conversely, the δ11Bc of juvenile A. islandica and juvenile M. arenaria did not yield a strong relationship with seawater pHT but instead yielded significant relationships with shell growth rate (linear extension), with a positive relationship for M. arenaria and a negative relationship for juvenile A. islandica. The δ11B results from the few (n=9) adult A. islandica shells measured show the most variability across the range of pH and temperatures (range of 16‰) and no significant relationship was found with seawater pH or growth rate. Despite rigorous oxidative cleaning of samples, the data suggest that adult A. islandica shells contain boron-rich organic phases resistant to traditional cleaning techniques. This suggests that the next step in the development of boron-based pH proxies in A. islandica requires additional research into robust cleaning and sampling methods of periostracum and other organics. Despite the need for further investigations to constrain growth rate effects and cleaning techniques in A. islandica and M. arenaria, there is potential for developing paleo-pH proxies from P. magellanicus and M. mercenaria to better understand spatial and temporal patterns of past, present and future ocean acidification.
Continue reading ‘Controls on boron isotope ratios in marine bivalve shells: insights from a controlled experiment across pH and temperature gradients’Projected future of African marine ecosystems under climate change and stratospheric aerosol injection
Published 8 May 2026 Science ClosedTags: biological response, modeling, multiple factors, North Atlantic, phytoplankton, regionalmodeling, salinity, temperature
Stratospheric Aerosol Injection (SAI) has been proposed as a potential strategy to cool the planet. The ARISE-SAI-1.5 approach, which employes a moderate emission scenario, is simulated to limit future global warming to 1.5°C by injecting aerosols into the stratosphere in the year 2035. However, the climate response to this SAI scenario, particularly along the African coast, remains unclear. In this study, we investigate the potential impacts of climate change under the SSP2-4.5 scenario and ARISE-SAI-1.5 on regional African marine ecosystems through key biological (chlorophyll), physical (salinity, temperature), and chemical (nitrate, acidification, and dissolved oxygen) parameters. Our results indicate that climate change may reduce productivity in African coastal ecosystems, with chlorophyll concentrations decreasing between 10% and 62%. Sea surface temperatures are projected to rise by 1.5°C along the entire coast by 2069, while surface salinity increases up to 0.3 g/kg, except for a slight decrease of up to 0.1 g/kg along the Congolese-Angolan coast. This salinity dipole in the Gulf of Guinea results from enhanced precipitation and river discharge, reinforced by stratification that traps freshwater at the surface. Additionally, climate change drives ocean acidification and may expand the oxygen minimum zone in the Gulf of Guinea, with oxygen levels decreasing by 10%–30% at depths of 100–200 m. Although ARISE-SAI-1.5 may help reduce surface oxygen depletion, it may not significantly mitigate subsurface oxygen loss or continued acidification. Nevertheless, it may reduce some negative climate change impacts on marine ecosystems by stabilizing chlorophyll levels, sea surface temperatures, and salinity.
Plain Language Summary
Stratospheric Aerosol Injection is being explored as a way to cool the planet and limit future global warming, for instance, to 1.5°C in the scenario we explore here (ARISE-SAI-1.5). However, its effects on the ocean, especially along the African coast, are not fully understood. This study examines key factors such as chlorophyll, water temperature, salinity, and oxygen levels to assess changes in marine ecosystems. Our findings show that climate change could reduce productivity, with chlorophyll levels dropping by 10%–62%. Sea surface temperatures are expected to rise by 1.5°C by 2069, and salinity will increase along most coastal areas. The low-oxygen zone in the Gulf of Guinea may expand, making deep waters less habitable for marine life. While the SAI we study here helps slow oxygen loss near the surface, it does not prevent deeper waters from losing oxygen or the ocean from becoming more acidic. However, it can still reduce some harmful effects of climate change by stabilizing chlorophyll levels, temperatures, and salinity.
Continue reading ‘Projected future of African marine ecosystems under climate change and stratospheric aerosol injection’Coupled ocean warming and acidification reduce shell integrity and bioenergetics in juvenile Mytilus coruscus
Published 7 May 2026 Science ClosedTags: biological response, laboratory, molecular biology, mollusks, morphology, multiple factors, physiology, temperature
Under realistic climate change scenarios, marine bivalves face compounding stressors from concurrent ocean warming and acidification. Research has established the separate effects of these factors; however, the synergy driving physiological adaptation in mollusks has yet to be fully elucidated. We assessed the physiological responses of an ecologically significant mussel, Mytilus coruscus, to 2 mo exposure under varying environmental conditions (25°C/28°C and pH 7.7/8.1). Key metrics included shell properties, flesh weight, antioxidant defenses, bioenergetics, and gene expression. Compared to control groups, experimental groups showed reductions in shell hardness and compressive strength, >10% decrease in flesh weight, and 40-52% suppression of carbonic anhydrase and Ca2+-ATPase activities. Molecular analyses of the mantle tissue demonstrated compromised mitochondrial energy transduction (>40% reduction in ATP6 expression) alongside upregulated stress response markers (>2.1-fold COX3 increase). Notably, cellular energy allocation declined, accompanied by depletion of energy reserves (proteins, lipids, carbohydrates), indicating metabolic prioritization toward stress compensation. These findings elucidate how coupled stressors disrupt homeostasis through multilevel interactions, forcing energy trade-offs between defense mechanisms and growth processes, and confirm the tissue-specific vulnerability of the mantle and individual resilience of bivalves under multifactorial climate change.
Continue reading ‘Coupled ocean warming and acidification reduce shell integrity and bioenergetics in juvenile Mytilus coruscus’Climate change resilience and positive scope for growth in wild adult Sydney rock oysters, Saccostrea glomerata (Gould 1850)
Published 27 April 2026 Science ClosedTags: biological response, growth, laboratory, mollusks, multiple factors, physiology, temperature
Oysters have ecological and economic importance worldwide as they provide ecosystem services and sustain profitable aquaculture industries. Calcifying bivalves including oysters have been found to be sensitive to ocean warming and acidification caused by anthropogenic climate change. This study tested whether adult wild Sydney rock oyster, Saccostrea glomerata, exposed to elevated pCO2 (331 μatm and 867 μatm) and temperature (24°C and 28°C) in an orthogonal design for five weeks, have resilience and can maintain sufficient scope for growth or are pushed into a suboptimal state. At the end of the exposure growth, condition index, clearance, ingestion and absorption efficiency and rates were measured and scope for growth calculated. Sydney rock oysters responded to elevated pCO2 and temperature with no change in overall growth or condition index, but significantly increased metabolic, clearance, ingestion, and absorption rates and positive Scope for Growth. Our results indicate that adult S. glomerata can cope with the moderate level of climate change stress predicted for 2100 through increased standard metabolic rate and increased energetic processes. If, however, food availability becomes limiting, and other environmental stressors interact with climate change stressors then resilience thresholds maybe breached for this economically, ecologically and indigenous significant and iconic oyster species.
Continue reading ‘Climate change resilience and positive scope for growth in wild adult Sydney rock oysters, Saccostrea glomerata (Gould 1850)’Effects of ocean acidification on the growth, shell integrity, and vulnerability to thermal stress and predation in Pacific oysters (Magallana gigas), and bay mussels (Mytilus spp.)
Published 17 April 2026 Science ClosedTags: biological response, laboratory, mesocosms, mollusks, morphology, mortality, multiple factors, North Pacific, predation, temperature
The ocean is absorbing approximately one third of the anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions to the atmosphere. As a result, the pH of the ocean is declining steadily, a phenomenon known as ocean acidification (OA). This decline in pH and the associated reductions in calcium carbonate saturation states of the water can have widespread consequences for marine life, particularly to calcifying organisms. In this thesis, I aim to understand the effects of OA on the growth, shell integrity, and susceptibility to secondary stressors like heatwaves or predation, of two important shellfish species in British Columbia, Pacific oysters (Magallana gigas) and bay mussels (Mytilus spp.). I also aim to identify potential tipping points beyond which the biological responses of these shellfish to OA rapidly become more pronounced. I reared oysters and mussels in experimental mesocosms, in four pCO₂ treatments for eight-weeks to determine growth. I subsequently exposed these OA-acclimated animals to a secondary stressor by simulating heatwave conditions to assess thermal tolerance, and by introducing a predatory sea star to assess vulnerability to predation. Finally, shell condition was visually assessed, and shells were mechanically crushed to determine integrity. I found that OA decreased the growth of both oysters and mussels. No tipping point was observed for oyster growth, but reduced growth only emerged at the highest levels of OA in mussels. Sensitivity to atmospheric warming was not increased after exposure to acidic conditions for either species, although oysters had a considerably higher thermal tolerance than mussels. Mussel vulnerability to predation did increase, although the relationship was complex and depended on predator size. OA negatively affected shell strength, and possible tipping points emerged for this response metric in both species. Overall, OA was shown to negatively affect both species, but patterns of effect and the presence of potential tipping points depended on the species and the response metric. Understanding how these ecologically and commercially important bivalves are responding to OA is important for understanding how changing ocean chemistry will affect marine ecosystems, and to inform aquaculture managers on mitigation strategies.
Continue reading ‘Effects of ocean acidification on the growth, shell integrity, and vulnerability to thermal stress and predation in Pacific oysters (Magallana gigas), and bay mussels (Mytilus spp.)’Climate-driven restructuring of phytoplankton productivity and community composition in the south-eastern Black Sea: insights from seasonal CO2-temperature manipulation experiments
Published 9 April 2026 Science ClosedTags: biological response, Black Sea, community composition, laboratory, multiple factors, otherprocess, physiology, phytoplankton, temperature
Semi-enclosed marine systems with low buffering capacity, such as the Black Sea, are expected to experience amplified impacts of ocean acidification and warming, yet experimental evidence on their combined short-term effects on natural phytoplankton assemblages remains limited. Here, we present a seasonally resolved one-year study (four experiments conducted between 2022 and 2023) based on 48 h short-term microcosm incubation experiments using natural phytoplankton communities collected from coastal and offshore stations in the south-eastern Black Sea. CO2 concentrations (360, 600, and 760 ppm) and temperature (ambient and +3 °C) were manipulated to examine short-term physiological and compositional responses under projected climate scenarios. We hypothesised that CO2 and warming would exert both independent and interactive effects on short-term particulate organic carbon production (14C uptake rates) and relative community composition, with responses varying seasonally and being most pronounced during summer stratification.
Short-term particulate primary production increased by ∼22% and ∼36% at 600 and 760 ppm CO2, respectively (p<0.05), while warming provided an additional 14–22% enhancement depending on season, with significant CO2 × temperature interaction terms detected for total production (two-way ANOVA, p<0.05), indicating synergistic CO2–temperature effects. Warming and moderate CO2 enrichment were associated with increased relative contributions of nano- and picophytoplankton (by ∼6–10%), whereas high CO2 reduced the warming-driven shift toward smaller cells by maintaining microphytoplankton contributions ∼10–15% higher than in the warming-only treatment. Carbonate chemistry responded strongly to CO2 manipulation, with pH declining from in-situ values of 8.09–8.21 to 7.06–7.52 during incubations and minor reductions in total alkalinity, reflecting the weak buffering capacity of the system. Pigment composition and microscopy indicated short-term increases in dinoflagellate relative abundance (∼12–18%) and concurrent declines in diatom markers, accompanied by accelerated nitrate depletion and reduced nitrogen-to-phosphorus (N:P) ratios, consistent with enhanced nitrogen limitation.
Overall, these findings demonstrate pronounced short-term sensitivity of natural phytoplankton assemblages in the south-eastern Black Sea to combined CO2 and warming under controlled incubation conditions. Because these results derive from 48 h microcosm experiments, they represent short-term physiological and compositional responses rather than direct evidence of long-term ecosystem restructuring, yet the observed patterns suggest potential implications for trophic efficiency, harmful algal bloom development, and carbon cycling in this low-buffer, stratified basin under future climate forcing.
Continue reading ‘Climate-driven restructuring of phytoplankton productivity and community composition in the south-eastern Black Sea: insights from seasonal CO2-temperature manipulation experiments’Metabolic rate measurements of two benthic invertebrates under simulated climate change conditions
Published 30 March 2026 Science ClosedTags: adaptation, biological response, laboratory, Mediterranean, mollusks, morphology, multiple factors, otherprocess, porifera, respiration, temperature
Background
Climate change is profoundly altering marine ecosystems through ocean warming and acidification. These stressors are especially pronounced in the Mediterranean Sea, a climate change hotspot projected to warm faster than the global average. Increased temperatures and reduced pH directly affect metabolic processes in marine invertebrates by elevating respiration rates up to species-specific thermal limits, beyond which physiological performance declines. Ocean acidification further disrupts metabolic processes by increasing energetic maintenance costs. Sessile and sedentary marine invertebrates, such as sponges and benthic gastropods, are particularly exposed to such environmental shifts due to their limited ability to escape unfavorable conditions, making physiological plasticity and local adaptation crucial for persistence.
New information
This manuscript presents a dataset of oxygen consumption rates and wet weight measurements for two low-mobility marine species, the gastropod Hexaplex trunculus and the sponge Chondrilla nucula. Using a common garden experiment, individuals from North and South Aegean populations were exposed for three months to simulated climate change conditions combining increased temperature and reduced pH. The dataset documents respiration measurements obtained using metabolic chambers after three months of exposure, allowing comparisons across species, geographic origin, and experimental treatments.The dataset accounts for intraspecific variation in these responses, providing insight into potential adaptive differences among geographically distinct populations. These data provide a resource for future analyses of metabolic responses of marine invertebrates to combined warming and acidification conditions.
Continue reading ‘Metabolic rate measurements of two benthic invertebrates under simulated climate change conditions’Skeletal growth and loss of the cold-water coral Lophelia pertusa from multiple environmental drivers in a year-long experiment
Published 27 March 2026 Science ClosedTags: biological response, corals, dissolution, growth, laboratory, morphology, mortality, multiple factors, North Atlantic, oxygen, physiology, respiration, temperature
Colony-forming scleractinian cold-water corals (CWCs) are important ecosystem engineers, forming complex 3-dimensional habitats in the deep sea, which in turn sustain high biodiversity. They are threatened by future environmental changes such as ocean acidification, warming, deoxygenation, and food limitation, but little is known about the effect of these drivers in combination or on the long-term. We conducted a year-long aquarium experiment with Lophelia pertusa (syn. Desmophyllum pertusum) under projected end-of-century conditions, investigating the combined effect of differences in pH (8.1 and 7.7), temperature (9°C and 12°C), oxygen concentration (100% and 90%) and food supply (100% and 60%) on coral survival, growth, respiration rates, skeletal dissolution and energetic reserves. Growth rates of L. pertusa decreased significantly in both multiple driver treatments, resulting in negative and more variable growth rates. However, growth rates only started to decrease after 4.5 months, clearly showing a delayed response. In addition, survival rates and energetic reserves were slightly lower in multiple driver treatments, whereas L. pertusa was not affected by reduced oxygen concentration examined as a single factor. Negative growth rates in multiple driver treatments were driven by dissolution of bare skeletal parts due to reduced seawater pH and temporary aragonite undersaturation, visualised here through micro-computed tomography images. While live CWCs may be able to cope with projected future environmental changes over the timescale of 1 year, ocean acidification will lead to dissolution of the dead skeletal framework of CWC reefs and net loss, reducing the complexity and associated biodiversity of these reefs. However, the challenge remains in closing the gap between long-term experiments and the much longer-term chronic exposure of CWCs to projected environmental changes.
Continue reading ‘Skeletal growth and loss of the cold-water coral Lophelia pertusa from multiple environmental drivers in a year-long experiment’Acidification and deoxygenation matter in assessing redistribution of global cold-water coral biodiversity induced by climate change
Published 24 March 2026 Science ClosedTags: biological response, BRcommunity, corals, globalmodeling, modeling, multiple factors, temperature
The ocean is undergoing significant changes, including warming, acidification, and deoxygenation, which pose great challenges to marine biodiversity. However, most models projecting the impacts of climate change on marine species overlook predictor variables critically meaningful for species’ ecologies such as pH and dissolved oxygen. The recent release of high-resolution projections of different future climate-change scenarios offers the opportunity to explore species redistribution under multiple threats beyond ocean warming. Accordingly, we conducted a global comparative analysis to study the impact of incorporating predictor variables describing pH and dissolved oxygen into marine species distribution models. We used models trained for 268 cold-water coral species to project potential future distributions for different climate and dispersal scenarios over different time periods. We found that, irrespective of scenario or period, models using pH and dissolved oxygen projected 11.5–21.4% higher impacts of climate change than those without them. For instance, by the end of the century under a high emission scenario, models including pH and oxygen projected an average range contraction of 48.2% for cold-water corals under a no-dispersal scenario, compared with a 26.8% contraction projected by models excluding these two predictors. Given the substantial differences in the predicted distribution patterns and the biological importance of these variables, we highlight that researchers should consider more diverse sets of predictor variables when predicting future range shifts for marine biodiversity assessments under climate change.
Continue reading ‘Acidification and deoxygenation matter in assessing redistribution of global cold-water coral biodiversity induced by climate change’Experimental exposure to climate change scenarios imposed alterations on the morphological traits of sessile and low-motility marine invertebrates
Published 24 March 2026 Science ClosedTags: biological response, laboratory, Mediterranean, methods, mollusks, morphology, multiple factors, porifera, temperature
Background
Over the past 50 years, the oceans have absorbed over 90% of global warming heat, leading to warming, acidification and declining oxygen levels that are disrupting marine ecosystems and altering species distributions and productivity. The vulnerability of marine organisms to these changes depends on their biological traits, habitat conditions and adaptive capacity, influencing their growth, behaviour and overall population health. Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) has been previously used for studying the morphological traits of marine invertebrates, which provide important insights into species functionality and responses to climate change and ocean acidification. Micro-CT enables non-destructive, high-resolution 3D analysis of internal and external structures, allowing precise measurement of traits such as density, porosity and morphology that are valuable for climate change research.
New information
The present manuscript describes micro-CT imaging datasets generated to investigate the effects of climate change on the morphological structure of two benthic marine invertebrates: the low-motility gastropod Hexaplex trunculus (Linnaeus, 1758) and the sessile sponge Chondrilla nucula Schmidt, 1862. Both species are considered particularly vulnerable to environmental stressors. To date, no study has investigated the effects of ocean warming and acidification on sponges using micro-CT technology. Using a common garden experimental design, individuals from geographically distinct populations exposed to different natural environmental regimes were subjected to combined warming and acidification scenarios to assess their morphological responses and adaptive capacity.
Continue reading ‘Experimental exposure to climate change scenarios imposed alterations on the morphological traits of sessile and low-motility marine invertebrates’Tolerance of egg and yolk-sac larval yellowfin sole (Limanda aspera) to ocean warming and acidification
Published 23 March 2026 Science ClosedTags: biological response, fish, fisheries, growth, laboratory, morphology, mortality, multiple factors, North Pacific, physiology, reproduction, temperature
Yellowfin sole (Limanda aspera) support the largest flatfish fishery in the world and contribute substantially to the eastern Bering Sea (EBS) flatfish catch. The EBS has been warming and acidifying, trends that are expected to intensify into the future. Sustainable management of yellowfin sole requires an understanding of how yellowfin sole respond to environmental change, which can be assessed through controlled laboratory investigations. Across four independent trials, yellowfin sole embryos and larvae were incubated at one of six experimental treatments spanning three temperatures (9°C, 12°C, and 15°C) and two pCO2 target levels (low and high), and a range of organismal and physiological responses were measured. Embryonic daily mortality rates and metabolic rates increased with increasing temperature but were not affected by ocean acidification. At- hatch and at- yolk absorption, morphometric measurements (length, dry weight, myotome height, and yolk area) were temperature- sensitive, but the response differed across the four trials. There was a consistent increase in length- based growth and yolk absorption rates with increasing temperature across trials. All morphometric and rate- based measurements were not affected by ocean acidification. Yellowfin sole metabolic enzyme activities were measured at- yolk absorption. Lactate dehydrogenase (anaerobic metabolism) and β- hydroxyacyl CoA dehydrogenase (fatty acid metabolism) both increased with increasing temperature, indicating elevated energy demand. Citrate synthase (aerobic metabolism) declined with increasing pCO2 levels, indicating potential metabolic suppression. Overall, embryonic and larval yellowfin sole demonstrated relatively high tolerance to ocean warming and acidification. We hypothesize the variation in temperature responses across the trials may be driven by maternal effects, which could support tolerance to future ocean conditions.
Continue reading ‘Tolerance of egg and yolk-sac larval yellowfin sole (Limanda aspera) to ocean warming and acidification’Influence of ocean warming and acidification on juveniles of the true giant clam, Tridacna gigas, and its microalgal symbionts
Published 19 March 2026 Science ClosedTags: biological response, BRcommunity, laboratory, molecular biology, mollusks, mortality, multiple factors, North Pacific, phytoplankton, reproduction, temperature
Uncontrolled carbon dioxide emissions from human activities contribute to ocean warming and acidification. These alterations in ocean chemistry threaten marine organisms, such as the true giant clam, Tridacna gigas, which is already imperiled due to overharvesting and habitat destruction. To gain an understanding of the physiological and molecular responses of T. gigas and its symbiotic dinoflagellates to ocean warming and acidification, we subjected juvenile individuals to different treatments simulating predicted seawater pH (7.6 and 8.0) and temperature (28°C, 30°C, 32°C and 34°C) levels for the next century. Juvenile giant clams were able to tolerate sustained exposure to temperatures of up to 32°C and pH as low as 7.6, while exposure to higher temperature (34°C), regardless of pH level, resulted in total mortality after a week. However, symbiosis was compromised even in the sublethal treatments, as indicated by the decrease in Symbiodiniaceae density and changes in symbiont gene expression. Symbionts significantly upregulated genes involved in splicing, translation, fatty acid metabolism, and DNA repair, which may constitute an adaptive response, while downregulating genes involved in photosynthesis and transmembrane transport, suggests impaired transfer of photosynthates to the host. These findings demonstrate the vulnerability of the juvenile T. gigas holobiont to heat stress, highlighting the critical importance of continued conservation and management alongside efforts to mitigate global changes in ocean conditions to safeguard this iconic marine bivalve.
Continue reading ‘Influence of ocean warming and acidification on juveniles of the true giant clam, Tridacna gigas, and its microalgal symbionts’The economic impact of climate change on coral reef in the Main Hawaiian Islands
Published 18 March 2026 Science ClosedTags: biological response, communitymodeling, corals, modeling, multiple factors, North Pacific, socio-economy, temperature
Coral reefs are highly diverse and productive ecosystems that provide a wide range of ecosystem services, including recreation, coastal protection, and marine biodiversity. Climate change impacts, including ocean warming and acidification, pose a significant threat to coral reefs and the ecosystem services they provide. The variability of these impacts underlines the need to develop more spatially explicit tools in coastal ecosystem management that integrate and assess potential ecological and socio-economic outcomes. To address this, a spatially explicit predictive ecological model is applied to project changes in coral reef cover, using downscaled data from Shared Socioeconomic Pathway (SSP) climate scenarios. Based on these projections, welfare impacts of changes in recreational value are estimated across different populations and landscapes. Cumulative welfare losses for Hawaiʻi residents range from $1.5 to $3.3 billion in 2024$ by 2100. Counterintuitively, cumulative welfare losses are higher under optimistic emissions scenarios, where coral reef degradation is less severe than higher emission scenarios, because more people will experience smaller ecological losses. The approach incorporates site-specific characteristics, income distribution, and projected regional population growth to connect ecological change with welfare outcomes. EJScreen is used to assess variation in welfare impacts, identifying disadvantaged communities based on demographic and environmental indicators such as poverty, minority status, and exposure to environmental risks. These findings can inform policy and resource allocation by supporting ecosystem management strategies that account for both ecological dynamics and community-level socio-economic conditions.
Continue reading ‘The economic impact of climate change on coral reef in the Main Hawaiian Islands’Physiological responses of Swedish maerl to ocean acidification and warming
Published 17 March 2026 Science ClosedTags: algae, biological response, calcification, laboratory, multiple factors, North Atlantic, photosynthesis, respiration, temperature
Maerl, (Corallinales, Rhodophyta), are free-living calcareous algae found in coastal ecosystems. They form biogenic beds with complex structures in which other species can find refuge or on which other species can settle, which highlights their importance as an ecosystem. While many species have been investigated worldwide, maerl from the Swedish west coast are poorly studied. This report investigated both acidification and warming impacts on different physiological functions of Swedish maerl, including photosynthesis, respiration and calcification. The maerl were exposed to different pH levels and temperatures in both light and dark conditions to determine their physiological thresholds, where photosynthesis and respiration were measured via oxygen fluctuations, photosynthetic efficiency via PAM fluorometry and calcification via alkalinity titrations. It was found that neither photosynthetic nor respiratory oxygen exchange showed positive or negative trends when exposed to changes in pH. On the contrary, photosynthesis peaked at the natural ambient temperature of 16°C and respiration increased with increasing temperature. Photosynthetic efficiency also did not show any trends to pH changes. However, calcification showed a significant (p < 0.05) negative response to pH in both light and dark conditions, with the response more severe in dark conditions. This suggests that decreasing pH may induce skeletal dissolution, and that photosynthesis could help buffer internal responses to external conditions. Carbonate production at ambient conditions in the light was calculated to be 556 ± 54 g CaCO3 m-2 yr-1, showing that Swedish maerl are just as, if not more, productive than maerl found elsewhere. Overall, this report showed that photosynthetic and respiratory thresholds may not be reached with acidification and that temperature increases could instead have much more severe consequences. It also showed that calcification thresholds will be met sooner rather than later, depending on acidification rates, in darker conditions for maerl found in temperate and possibly polar regions.
Continue reading ‘Physiological responses of Swedish maerl to ocean acidification and warming’
