Acid–base balance in the hæmolymph of European abalone (Haliotis tuberculata) exposed to CO2-induced ocean acidification

Abstract

Ocean acidification (OA) and the associated changes in seawater carbonate chemistry pose a threat to calcifying organisms. This is particularly serious for shelled molluscs, in which shell growth and microstructure has been shown to be highly sensitive to OA. To improve our understanding of the responses of abalone to OA, this study investigated the effects of CO 2 -induced ocean acidification on extra-cellular acid-base parameters in the European abalone Haliotis tuberculata. Three-year-old adult abalone were exposed for 15 days to three different pH levels (7.9, 7.7, 7.4) representing current and predicted near-future conditions. Haemolymph pH and total alkalinity were measured at different time points during exposure and used to calculate the carbonate parameters of the extracellular fluid. Total protein content was also measured to determine whether seawater acidification influences the composition and buffer capacity of haemolymph. Extracellular pH was maintained at seawater pH 7.7 indicating that abalones are able to buffer moderate acidification (-0.2 pH units). This was not due to an accumulation of HCO 3 -ions but rather to a high haemolymph protein concentration. By contrast, haemolymph pH was significantly decreased after 5 days of exposure to pH 7.4, indicating that abalone do not compensate for higher decreases in seawater pH. Total alkalinity and dissolved inorganic carbon were also significantly decreased after 15 days of low pH exposure. It is concluded that changes in the acid-base balance of the haemolymph might be involved in deleterious effects recorded in adult H.2 tuberculata facing severe OA stress. This would impact both the ecology and aquaculture of this commercially important species.

Proteomic and Transcriptomic Responses Enable Clams to Correct the pH of Calcifying Fluids and Sustain Biomineralization in Acidified Environments

“…Many bivalve species are found in coastal environments that experience altered carbonate chemistry and have some capacity to deal with these changes. However, pH below and pCO 2 above natural minima and maxima could limit their ability to compensate for changes in calcifying fluid chemistry, as has been demonstrated in previous studies [17,19,20,37]. Clams in this experiment were exposed to a dramatic reduction in pH and were maintained for one year, and they were still able to control pH e .…”

“…However, this is not universal across bivalve species and there is much variability in this response, with some species unable to modulate calcifying fluids and others showing a limited control that wanes over time or under more severe conditions. For example, the European abalone (Haliotis tuberculata) was able to maintain normal extracellular pH (pH e ) at a seawater pH of 7.7, but this was not sustainable at a pH of 7.4 [17]. The eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) was able to increase the pH of the extrapallial fluid (EPF-the site of shell formation located between the mantle and the shell) under OA conditions at nine days of exposure, but this ability diminished over time [18].…”