From Individual Calcifiers to Ecosystem Dynamics: Ocean Acidification Effects on Urchins and Abalone

Publication Date

8-1-2024

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Integrative and Comparative Biology

Volume

64

Issue

2

DOI

10.1093/icb/icae096

First Page

290

Last Page

305

Abstract

A central question in ecology is to what extent do trophic interactions govern the structure and function of com¬munities? This question is becoming more pressing as trophic interactions shift with rapid climate change. Sea urchins and abalone are key invertebrates in the habitats where they reside. Sea urchins are critical members of exemplar trophic cascades in kelp forests due to their impact on kelp establishment and maintenance; yet their populations are controlled by predators, such as sea otters and sunflower sea stars. Abalone compete with urchins for macroalgal food resources and therefore can help regulate urchin populations in kelp forests. Given that both urchin tests and abalone shells used for predator defense are com¬prised of calcium carbonate, much research has been conducted on the impacts of ocean acidification (OA) on these calcified structures. A growing body of literature has shown that urchin tests are less calcified and break with less force under OA condi¬tions. Less is known about abalone, but their shells also appear to respond negatively to OA. Using kelp forest communities as exemplar ecosystems, we discuss the morphological, biomechanical, and physiological responses to OA in urchins and abalone and consider how these individual level responses scale to trophic interactions and ultimately whole ecosystem processes. Al-ell studied, calcified mechanisms for food hus, examining both the feeding and de-though the impacts of OA on the calcified structures used for defense have been w consumption, such as the Aristotle's lantern of urchins, are much less understood, fense sides of trophic interactions would greatly improve our understanding of OA responses across individual to ecosystem scales. More generally, measurements of morphological, biomechanical, and physiological responses to OA can be made in individuals to help predict higher level ecological responses, which would greatly contribute to broader predictions of whole ecosystem responses to OA.

Department

Biological Sciences

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