Local differences in robustness to ocean acidification.

Ocean acidification (OA) caused by increased atmospheric carbon dioxide is affecting marine systems globally and is more extreme in coastal waters. A wealth of research to determine how species will be affected by OA, now and in the future, is emerging. Most studies are discrete and generally do not include the full life cycle of animals.

Nutrient reduction by eastern oysters exhibits low variability associated with reproduction, ploidy, and farm location.

Enhancement of shellfish populations has long been discussed as a potential nutrient reduction tool, and eastern oyster aquaculture was recently approved as a nutrient reduction best management practice (BMP) in Chesapeake Bay, USA. This study addressed BMP-identified data gaps involving variation in nutrient concentration related to ploidy, effects of reproductive development, and a paucity of phosphorus concentration data. Diploid and triploid oysters were collected from farms in Maryland and Virginia across the typical local reproductive cycle.

Dynamic energy budget modeling of Atlantic surfclam, Spisula solidissima, under future ocean acidification and warming.

A dynamic energy budget (DEB) model integrating pCO was used to describe ocean acidification (OA) effects on Atlantic surfclam, Spisula solidissima, bioenergetics. Effects of elevated pCO on ingestion and somatic maintenance costs were simulated, validated, and adapted in the DEB model based upon growth and biological rates acquired during a 12-week laboratory experiment. Temperature and pCO were projected for the next 100 years following the intergovernmental panel on climate change representative concentration pathways scenarios (2.

Energetic response of Atlantic surfclam Spisula solidissima to ocean acidification.

In this study, we assessed the Atlantic surfclam (Spisula solidissima) energy budget under different ocean acidification conditions (OA). During 12 weeks, 126 individuals were maintained at three different ρCO concentrations. Every two weeks, individuals were sampled for physiological measurements and scope for growth (SFG).

Variability in sediment-water carbonate chemistry and bivalve abundance after bivalve settlement in Long Island Sound, Milford, Connecticut.

Cues that drive bivalve settlement and abundance in sediments are not well understood, but recent reports suggest that sediment carbonate chemistry may influence bivalve abundance. In 2013, we conducted field experiments to assess the relationship between porewater sediment carbonate chemistry (pH, alkalinity (A), dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC)), grain size, and bivalve abundance throughout the July-September settlement period at two sites in Long Island Sound (LIS), CT. Two dominate bivalves species were present during the study period Mya arenaria and Nucula spp.

Cultivation of the Ribbed Mussel (Geukensia demissa) for Nutrient Bioextraction in an Urban Estuary.

Shellfish aquaculture is gaining acceptance as a tool to reduce nutrient over enrichment in coastal and estuarine ecosystems through the feeding activity of the animals and assimilation of filtered particles in shellfish tissues. This ecosystem service, provided by the ribbed mussel (Geukensia demissa), was studied in animals suspended from a commercial mussel raft in the urban Bronx River Estuary, NY, in waters closed to shellfish harvest due to bacterial contamination. Naturally occurring populations of ribbed mussels were observed to be healthy and resilient in this highly urbanized environment.

Characterizing seston in the Penobscot River Estuary.

The Penobscot River Estuary is an important system for diadromous fish in the Northeast United States of American (USA), in part because it is home to the largest remnant population of Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar, in the country. Little is known about the chemical and biological characteristics of seston in the Penobscot River Estuary. This study used estuarine transects to characterize the seston during the spring when river discharge is high and diadromous fish migration peaks in the Penobscot River Estuary.

Ocean Acidification Affects Hemocyte Physiology in the Tanner Crab (Chionoecetes bairdi).

We used flow cytometry to determine if there would be a difference in hematology, selected immune functions, and hemocyte pH (pHi), under two different, future ocean acidification scenarios (pH = 7.50, 7.80) compared to current conditions (pH = 8.

Effect of ocean acidification on growth and otolith condition of juvenile scup, Stenotomus chrysops.

Increasing amounts of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) from human industrial activities are causing changes in global ocean carbonate chemistry, resulting in a reduction in pH, a process termed "ocean acidification." It is important to determine which species are sensitive to elevated levels of CO2 because of potential impacts to ecosystems, marine resources, biodiversity, food webs, populations, and effects on economies. Previous studies with marine fish have documented that exposure to elevated levels of CO2 caused increased growth and larger otoliths in some species.

Toxicity of un-ionized ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate to juvenile bay scallops, Argopecten irradians irradians.

Juvenile bay scallops (7.2-26.4 mm) were exposed for 72 h to different concentrations of un-ionized ammonia, nitrite, or nitrate.