Temperature and CO(2) additively regulate physiology, morphology and genomic responses of larval sea urchins, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus

Proc Biol Sci. 2013 Mar 27;280(1759):20130155. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2013.0155. Print 2013 May 22.

Abstract

Ocean warming and ocean acidification, both consequences of anthropogenic production of CO2, will combine to influence the physiological performance of many species in the marine environment. In this study, we used an integrative approach to forecast the impact of future ocean conditions on larval purple sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus) from the northeast Pacific Ocean. In laboratory experiments that simulated ocean warming and ocean acidification, we examined larval development, skeletal growth, metabolism and patterns of gene expression using an orthogonal comparison of two temperature (13°C and 18°C) and pCO2 (400 and 1100 μatm) conditions. Simultaneous exposure to increased temperature and pCO2 significantly reduced larval metabolism and triggered a widespread downregulation of histone encoding genes. pCO2 but not temperature impaired skeletal growth and reduced the expression of a major spicule matrix protein, suggesting that skeletal growth will not be further inhibited by ocean warming. Importantly, shifts in skeletal growth were not associated with developmental delay. Collectively, our results indicate that global change variables will have additive effects that exceed thresholds for optimized physiological performance in this keystone marine species.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • California
  • Carbon Dioxide / metabolism*
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Global Warming
  • Hot Temperature
  • Larva / anatomy & histology
  • Larva / genetics
  • Larva / growth & development
  • Larva / physiology
  • Logistic Models
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis
  • Phylogeny
  • Seawater / chemistry*
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • Strongylocentrotus purpuratus / anatomy & histology
  • Strongylocentrotus purpuratus / genetics
  • Strongylocentrotus purpuratus / growth & development
  • Strongylocentrotus purpuratus / physiology*

Substances

  • Carbon Dioxide

Associated data

  • GEO/GPL15481
  • GEO/GSE39125