EffectsofCO2drivenocean.PDFVIP

NATURAL SCIENCES 9 Effects of CO2 driven ocean acidification on sea hare (Aplysia dactylomela) larval development Beckie Yanovsky Increasing the partial pressure of CO2 in the atmosphere affects the calcification rates of marine organisms by lowering aragonite concentrations in oceanic water. This experiment considered the development of the gastropod mollusk Aplysia dactylomela in its planktonic larval stage during which the organism calcifies an exterior shell, a crucial step in development. The effects of acidification on sea hare larvae development were analyzed using an ocean acidification system to submerge A. dactylomela egg masses in three different pH treatments. The variables considered include differences in shell length, shell smoothness, inner morphology, and larval movement. The experiment revealed that larvae reared in acidified conditions had significantly shorter shells and a higher proportion of unhealthy inner morphologies than the ambient control. Larvae also had a higher observed proportion of pitted shell morphologies and an overall decrease in mobility, though differences were not significant. Physiological changes could potentially cause functional and behavioral discrepancies and have an effect on the overall fitness of the organism. Disrupting the calcification process of sea hares and other mollusks through environmental acidification could have widespread consequences for coral reef ecosystems. play critical roles in selection, recruitment and population maintenance.7 The spotted seahare, Aplysia dactylomela, is one such marine invertebrate that calcifies a spiral CaCO3 shell in its planktonic larval stage. As an integral part of the marine symbioses within the coral reef community, the spotted sea hare plays a vital role in nutrient cycling, and also has implications for human medical sciences. Perhaps the sea hare’s most significant role in the reef community is that of an avid herbivore. Space competitio