Journal
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
Volume 27, Issue 31, Pages 39516-39530Publisher
SPRINGER HEIDELBERG
DOI: 10.1007/s11356-020-10040-7
Keywords
Sea urchins; Ocean acidification; Sex; Biomarkers; Physiological parameters; Gonadosomatic index; Righting time
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Funding
- Universita degli Studi di Padova within the CRUI-CARE Agreement
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Seawater pH lowering, known as ocean acidification, is considered among the major threats to marine environment. In this study, post-spawning adults of the sea urchinParacentrotus lividuswere maintained at three pH values (8.0, 7.7, 7.4) for 60 days. Physiological, biochemical, cellular, behavioural and reproductive responses were evaluated in males and females. Significant differences between sexes were observed, with higher ammonia excretion and lower catalase activity in males. Respiration rate (after 21 days), catalase activity in gonads and total coelomocyte count showed the same increasing trend in males and females under low pH. Ammonia excretion, gonadosomatic index and lysozyme activity exhibited opposite responses to low pH, with an increasing trend in males and decreasing in females. Results demonstrated that exposure to low pH could result in different response strategies of male and female sea urchins at a physiological, biochemical and immunological level. Reduced female gonadosomatic index under low pH suggested decreased energy investment in reproduction.
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