15 results
 Pacific Data Hub

Myora Springs is one of many groundwater discharge sites on North Stradbroke Island (Queensland, Australia). Here spring waters emerge from wetland forests to join Moreton Bay, mixing with seawater over seagrass meadows dominated by eelgrass, Zostera muelleri. We sought to determine how low pH / high CO2 conditions near the spring affect these plants and their interactions with the black rabbitfish (Siganus fuscescens), a co-occurring grazer. In paired-choice feeding trials S. fuscescens preferentially consumed Z. muelleri shoots collected nearest to Myora Springs.

 Pacific Data Hub

ABSTRACT: Levels of dissolved carbon dioxide (CO2) projected to occur in the world's oceans in the near future have been reported to increase swimming activity and impair predator recognition in coral reef fishes. These behavioral alterations would be expected to have dramatic effects on survival and community dynamics in marine ecosystems in the future.

 Pacific Data Hub

Little is known about the impact of ocean acidification on predator–prey dynamics. Herein, we examined the effect of carbon dioxide (CO2) on both prey and predator by letting one predatory reef fish interact for 24 h with eight small or large juvenile damselfishes from four congeneric species. Both prey and predator were exposed to control or elevated levels of CO2. Mortality rate and predator selectivity were compared across CO2 treatments, prey size and species. Small juveniles of all species sustained greater mortality at high CO2 levels, while large recruits were not affected.

 Pacific Data Hub

We present experimental data obtained from an experiment with newly hatched veliger larvae of the gastropod Concholepas concholepas exposed to three pCO2 levels. Egg capsules were collected from two locations in northern and central Chile, and then incubated throughout their entire intra-capsular life cycle at three nominal pCO2 levels, ∼400, 700 and 1000 ppm (i.e. corresponding to ∼8.0, 7.8 and 7.6 pH units, respectively). Hatched larvae were fed with natural food assemblages. Food availability at time zero did not vary significantly with pCO2 level.

 Pacific Data Hub

Alterations in predation pressure can have large effects on trophically-structured systems. Modification of predator behaviour via ocean warming has been assessed by laboratory experimentation and metabolic theory. However, the influence of ocean acidification with ocean warming remains largely unexplored for mesopredators, including experimental assessments that incorporate key components of the assemblages in which animals naturally live.

 Pacific Data Hub

The CO2-boosted trophic transfer from primary producers to herbivores has been increasingly discovered at natural CO2 vents and in laboratory experiments. Despite the emerging knowledge of this boosting effect, we do not know the extent to which it may be enhanced or dampened by ocean warming. We investigated whether ocean acidification and warming enhance the nutritional quality (C:N ratio) and energy content of turf algae, which is speculated to drive higher feeding rate, greater energy budget and eventually faster growth of herbivores.

 Pacific Data Hub

Rising atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations are causing additional CO2 to be absorbed by the oceans. Recent studies show that exposure to elevated CO2 causes olfactory impairment in reef fishes; however, the ecological consequences of this impairment are largely unknown. This study examined the effects of short-term exposure to elevated CO2 on habitat preferences of coral-dwelling gobies. Adult gobies collected from the reef at Lizard Island (Great Barrier Reef, Australia) were exposed for 4 days to ambient CO2 (440 $μ$atm) or elevated CO2 (880 $μ$atm).

 Pacific Data Hub

Population outbreaks of the corallivorous crown-of-thorns starfish, Acanthaster planci, are a major contributor to the decline in coral reef across the Indo-Pacific. The success of A. planci and other reef species in a changing ocean will be influenced by juvenile performance because the naturally high mortality experienced at this sensitive life history stage maybe exacerbated by ocean warming and acidification. We investigated the effects of increased temperature and acidification on growth of newly metamorphosed juvenile A.

 Pacific Data Hub

Changes in olfactory-mediated behaviour caused by elevated CO2 levels in the ocean could affect recruitment to reef fish populations because larval fish become more vulnerable to predation. However, it is currently unclear how elevated CO2 will impact the other key part of the predator-prey interaction – the predators. We investigated the effects of elevated CO2 and reduced pH on olfactory preferences, activity levels and feeding behaviour of a common coral reef meso-predator, the brown dottyback (Pseudochromis fuscus).

 Pacific Data Hub

We tested the effect of near-future CO2 levels (≈490, 570, 700, and 960 $μ$atm CO2) on the olfactory responses and activity levels of juvenile coral trout, Plectropomus leopardus, a piscivorous reef fish that is also one of the most important fisheries species on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Juvenile coral trout reared for 4 weeks at 570 $μ$atm CO2 exhibited similar sensory responses and behaviors to juveniles reared at 490 $μ$atm CO2 (control). In contrast, juveniles reared at 700 and 960 $μ$atm CO2 exhibited dramatically altered sensory function and behaviors.

 Pacific Data Hub

Ocean acidification is one of the most pressing environmental concerns of our time, and not surprisingly, we have seen a recent explosion of research into the physiological impacts and ecological consequences of changes in ocean chemistry. We are gaining considerable insights from this work, but further advances require greater integration across disciplines. Here we showed that projected near-future CO2 levels impaired the ability of damselfish to learn the identity of predators.

 Pacific Data Hub

Ocean acidification is predicted to impact the structure and function of all marine ecosystems in this century. As focus turns towards possible impacts on interactions among marine organisms, its effects on the biology and transmission potential of marine parasites must be evaluated. In the present study, we investigate two marine trematode species (Philophthalmus sp. and Parorchis sp., both in the family Philophthalmidae) infecting two marine gastropods.

 Pacific Data Hub

Context Regime shifts are well known for driving penetrating ecological change, yet we do not recognise the consequences of these shifts much beyond species diversity and productivity. Sound represents a multidimensional space that carries decision-making information needed for some dispersing species to locate resources and evaluate their quantity and quality. Objectives Here we assessed the effect of regime shifts on marine soundscapes, which we propose has the potential function of strengthening the positive or negative feedbacks that mediate ecosystem shifts.

 Pacific Data Hub

We tested the hypothesis that ocean acidification (OA) affects spatial competition among scleractinian corals. Competitive ability was evaluated indirectly by linear extension of Porites lutea and Montipora aequituberculata placed in intraspecific, interspecific, and control pairings (paired with dead coral skeleton) and exposed to ambient (̃400 µatm) and elevated (\̃1000 µatm) pCO2 in experiments conducted in Moorea, French Polynesia, and Okinawa, Japan. High pCO2 had no effect on linear extension of M.

 Pacific Data Hub

Two of the major threats to coral reefs are increasing sea surface temperature and ocean acidification, both of which result from rising concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). Recent evidence suggests that both increased water temperature and elevated levels of dissolved CO2 can change the behaviors of fishes in ways that reduce individual fitness, however the interacting effects of these variables are unknown.