Direct and indirect impacts of ocean acidification and warming on algae-herbivore interactions in intertidal habitats.

Anthropogenically induced global climate change has caused profound impacts in the world ocean. Climate change related stressors, like ocean acidification (OA) and warming (OW) can affect physiological performance of marine species. However, studies evaluating the impacts of these stressors on algae-herbivore interactions have been much more scarce.

Accumulation and biotransformation dynamics of the neurotoxic complex, saxitoxin, in different life stages of Ostrea chilensis.

The neurotoxic complex saxitoxin, is a group of marine toxins that historically has significantly impacted human health and the ability to utilize marine resources. A steady increase in the distribution and intensity of Alexandrium catenella blooms in Chile, and around the world, has caused major ecological and socioeconomic impacts, putting this type of dinoflagellate, and its toxicity, in the spotlight. Ostrea chilensis is a commercially and ecologically important resource harvested from wild populations and farmed in centers of southern Chile, where it is exposed to large harmful algal blooms of the type that can cause paralysis in humans.

Ocean acidification exacerbates the effects of paralytic shellfish toxins on the fitness of the edible mussel Mytilus chilensis.

High latitudes are considered particularly vulnerable to ocean acidification, since they are naturally low in carbonate ions. The edible mussel Mytilus chilensis is a common calcifier inhabiting marine ecosystems of the southern Chile, where culturing of this species is concentrated and where algal blooms produced by the toxic dinoflagellate A. catenella are becoming more frequent.

Pre-ingestive selection capacity and endoscopic analysis in the sympatric bivalves Mulinia edulis and Mytilus chilensis exposed to diets containing toxic and non-toxic dinoflagellates.

This study investigates the effects of toxic and non-toxic dinoflatellates on two sympatric bivalves, the clam Mulinia edulis and the mussel Mytilus chilensis. Groups of bivalves were fed one of three diets: (i) the toxic paralytic shellfish producing (PSP) Alexandrium catenella + Isochrysis galbana; (ii) the non-toxic Alexandrium affine + Isochrysis galbana and (iii) the control diet of Isochrysis galbana. Several physiological traits were measured, such as, clearance rate, pre-ingestive selection efficiency and particle transport velocity in the gill.

Spatio-temporal environmental variation mediates geographical differences in phenotypic responses to ocean acidification.

Phenotypic plasticity is expected to play a major adaptive role in the response of species to ocean acidification (OA), by providing broader tolerances to changes in CO conditions. However, tolerances and sensitivities to future OA may differ among populations within a species because of their particular environmental context and genetic backgrounds. Here, using the climatic variability hypothesis (CVH), we explored this conceptual framework in populations of the sea urchin across natural fluctuating CO/pH environments.