Journal
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
Volume 368, Issue 1627, Pages -Publisher
ROYAL SOC
DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2012.0444
Keywords
adaptation; plasticity; climate change; metabolic rate; ocean acidification; mass extinction
Categories
Funding
- Research Council UK
- RCUK
- ASSEMBLE
- UKOA NERC [NE/H017127/1]
- ENEA
- SZN
- U.S. National Science Foundation [DEB 1036186]
- Direct For Biological Sciences
- Division Of Environmental Biology [1036186] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
- NERC [NE/H017127/1] Funding Source: UKRI
- Natural Environment Research Council [NE/H017127/1] Funding Source: researchfish
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Metabolic rate determines the physiological and life-history performances of ectotherms. Thus, the extent to which such rates are sensitive and plastic to environmental perturbation is central to an organism's ability to function in a changing environment. Little is known of long-term metabolic plasticity and potential for metabolic adaptation in marine ectotherms exposed to elevated pCO(2). Consequently, we carried out a series of in situ transplant experiments using a number of tolerant and sensitive polychaete species living around a natural CO2 vent system. Here, we show that a marine metazoan (i.e. Platynereis dumerilii) was able to adapt to chronic and elevated levels of pCO(2). The vent population of P. dumerilii was physiologically and genetically different from nearby populations that experience low pCO(2), as well as smaller in body size. By contrast, different populations of Amphiglena mediterranea showed marked physiological plasticity indicating that adaptation or acclimatization are both viable strategies for the successful colonization of elevated pCO(2) environments. In addition, sensitive species showed either a reduced or increased metabolism when exposed acutely to elevated pCO(2). Our findings may help explain, from a metabolic perspective, the occurrence of past mass extinction, as well as shed light on alternative pathways of resilience in species facing ongoing ocean acidification.
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