Biogeographic vulnerability to ocean acidification and warming in a marine bivalve.
Carl Van Colen, Anna Jansson, Alice Saunier, Thomas Lacoue-Labathe, Magda Vincx
Author Information
Carl Van Colen: Ghent University, Marine Biology Research Group, Krijgslaan 281 - S8, 9000 Gent, Belgium. Electronic address: carl.vancolen@ugent.be.
Anna Jansson: Environmental and Marine Biology, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, Åbo, Finland; Tvärminne Zoological Station, University of Helsinki, Hanko, Finland.
Alice Saunier: Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS - Université de La Rochelle, 2 rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000 La Rochelle, France.
Thomas Lacoue-Labathe: Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS - Université de La Rochelle, 2 rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000 La Rochelle, France.
Anthropogenic CO emissions are rapidly changing seawater temperature, pH and carbonate chemistry. This study compares the embryonic development under high pCO conditions across the south-north distribution range of the marine clam Limecola balthica in NW Europe. The combined effects of elevated temperature and reduced pH on hatching success and size varied strongly between the three studied populations, with the Gulf of Finland population appearing most endangered under the conditions predicted to occur by 2100. These results demonstrate that the assessment of marine faunal population persistence to future climatic conditions needs to consider the interactive effects of co-occurring physico-chemical alterations in seawater within the local context that determines population fitness, adaptation potential and the system resilience to environmental change.
