Climate change alters shellfish reef communities: A temperate mesocosm experiment. (December 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Cole, Victoria J.; Parker, Laura M.; Scanes, Elliot; Wright, John; Barnett, Lauren; Ross, Pauline M.
• Is Part Of: Marine pollution bulletin. Volume 173:Part B(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-12
• Subjects: Facilitation -- Ocean acidification -- Ocean warming -- Non-indigenous species -- Recruitment; Marine pollution -- Periodicals; Marine Biology -- Periodicals; Water Pollution -- Periodicals; Mer -- Pollution -- Périodiques; Publications périodiques; Pollution des mers; Lutte antipollution; Electronic journals; 363.7394
• DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.113113
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0025-326X

Abstract

Abstract: Climate change is expected to cause significant changes to rocky shore diversity. This study used outdoor mesocosms to test the predictions that warming and ocean acidification will alter the responses of native Trichomya hirsuta and introduced Mytilus galloprovincialis mussels, and their associated communities of infauna. Experiments consisted of orthogonal combinations of temperature (ambient 22 °C or elevated 25 °C), p CO2 (ambient 400 μatm or elevated 1000 μatm), mussel species ( T. hirsuta or M. galloprovincialis ), and mussel configuration (native, introduced, or both), with n = 3 replicates. Elevated p CO2 reduced the growth of T. hirsuta but not that of M. galloprovincialis, and warming and p CO2 influenced the infauna that colonised both species of mussels. There was a reduction in infaunal molluscs and an increase in polychaetes; there was, however, no effect on crustaceans. Results from this study suggest that climate-driven changes from one mussel species to another can significantly influence infaunal communities. Graphical abstract: Image attribution: Integration and Application Network, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (ian.umces.edu/imagelibrary/ ). Unlabelled Image Highlights: Climate change will cause significant changes to rocky shore diversity. Outdoor mesocosms were used to test predictions of warming and ocean acidification. Elevated carbon dioxide in the atmosphere reduced the growth of the native mussels. Warming and carbon dioxide influenced the species that colonised the mussels.