Interactive effects of extreme temperature and a widespread coastal metal contaminant reduce the fitness of a common tropical copepod across generations

Direct and delayed synergistic effects of marine heatwaves, metals and food limitation on tropical reef-associated fish larvae

“…Thirdly, the delayed synergistic effects of contaminants, MHW and starvation lasted beyond the exposure period, which are critically important to understand how ecological memory (see Hughes et al, 2019; Jackson et al, 2021) can accelerate biodiversity loss in the tropics (Barlow et al, 2018; Darling and Côté, 2008; Hughes et al, 2019). Together with our previous studies on zooplankton (Dinh et al, 2020a; Dinh et al, 2021; Dinh et al, 2020b), the lethal effects of Cu on fish larvae occur at a concentration that is lower than the Cu concentration allowed for the coastal water of Vietnam, 200 µg Cu/L (QCVN-10-MT-2015-BTNMT, MONRE-Vietnam, 2015), which urgently asks for the updates in local and national regulations to protect the marine, particularly reef environment. This is especially important and urgent as reefs and, more generally, coastal marine ecosystems in the Southeast Asian countries are experiencing increasing levels of various anthropogenic pollutants (Dinh, 2019; Jambeck et al, 2015; Nguyen et al, 2020) and marine heatwaves (Yao et al, 2020).…”

“…One crucial aspect that has often been overlooked in laboratory experiments is food availability, which may be a critically important factor determining the susceptibility of studied species to multiple stressors. Indeed, most multiple-stressor studies have been conducted in the laboratory under food saturation levels (e.g., Dinh et al, 2020b; Krause et al, 2017; Pham et al, 2020). However, stressor effects on life history and physiology may only be present or be magnified under food shortages (e.g., Bignami et al, 2016; Dinh et al, 2016a).…”

“…The interaction of warming and contaminants has emerged as a central research theme in global change biology and ecotoxicology in the last decade (Crain et al, 2008; Dinh et al, 2020a; Dinh et al, 2021; Dinh et al, 2020b; Moe et al, 2013; Orr et al, 2020; Sokolova and Lannig, 2008). However, only a few studies have investigated whether an additional stressor, e.g., food limitation, competition, or predation stress, may further modify the interaction of warming and contaminants (Crain et al, 2008; Dinh et al, 2016a; Knillmann et al, 2013; Pham et al, 2020).…”

“…In this study, we tested four important research questions. 1) Whether MHW may increase the toxicity of Cu to tropical coastal fish larvae (see e.g., in tropical copepods Dinh et al, 2021; Dinh et al, 2020b), and 2) how food limitation may shape the single and combined effects of MHW and Cu (see e.g., Dinh et al, 2016a). As MHW, Cu and food limitation typically occur in short periods, we tested 3) whether and to what extent MHW, Cu and food limitation may have delayed effects; if yes, 4) how would these stressors interact to affect previously exposed fish larvae?…”

Ocean Warming May Enhance Biochemical Alterations Induced by an Invasive Seaweed Exudate in the Mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis

“…Although increased heat is known to inflict physiological and biochemical stress in this mussel species [26][27][28], there is no knowledge on the combined effects of A. armata exudate and temperature rise. However, it is widely accepted that an increase in the water temperature may modify the ability of the organisms to cope with additional stressors [29][30][31][32], so we hypothesize that warming seawater may potentiate the toxic effects of A. armata exudate in M. galloprovincialis.…”