Effects of ocean acidification with pCO2 diurnal fluctuations on survival and larval shell formation of Ezo abalone, Haliotis discus hannai

This study assessed the effects of constant and diurnally fluctuating pCO(2) on development and shell formation of larval abalone Haliotis discus hannai. The larvae was exposed to different pCO(2) conditions; constant (450, 800, or 1200 mu atm in the first experiment (Exp. I), 450 or 780 mu atm in the second experiment (Exp. II)] or diurnally fluctuating pCO(2) (800 +/- 400 or 1200 +/- 400 mu atm in Exp. I, 450 +/- 80, 780 +/- 200 or 780 +/- 400 mu atm in Exp. II). Mortality, malformation rates or shell length of larval abalone were not significantly different among the 450, 800, and 800 +/- 400 mu atm pCO(2) treatments. Meanwhile, significantly higher malformation rates and smaller shells were detected in the 1200 and 1200 +/- 400 mu atm pCO(2) treatments than in the 450 mu atm pCO(2) treatment. The negative impacts were greater in the 1200 +/- 400 mu atm than in the 1200 mu atm. Shell length and malformation rate of larval abalone were related with aragonite saturation state (Omega-aragonite) in experimental seawater, and greatly changed around 1.1 of Omega-aragonite which corresponded to 1000-1300 mu atm pCO(2). These results indicate that there is a pCO(2) threshold associated with Omega-aragonite in the seawater, and that pCO(2) fluctuations produce additional negative impacts on abalone when above the threshold. Clear relationships were detected between abalone fitness and the integrated pCO(2) value over the threshold, indicating that the effects of OA on development and shell formation of larval abalone can be determined by intensity and time of exposure to pCO(2) over the threshold.