Meeting Abstract

96.2  Sunday, Jan. 6  Adverse effects of elevated CO₂ concentrations on squid (Doryteuthis pealeii) development and early life KAPLAN, M.B.*; MOONEY, T.A.; Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution; Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution mkaplan@whoi.edu

Increasing quantities of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO₂) are being absorbed into the ocean, altering seawater chemistry and impacting diverse marine life in many ways. At particular risk may be the early life stages of fish and invertebrates with internal and external aragonite structures. Impacts on cephalopods are of major concern because of the central role they play in many ocean ecosystems and because of their importance to global fisheries. The objective of this work was to determine whether elevated CO₂ concentrations impact squid and the manners in which potential effects may be exhibited. Atlantic longfin squid (Doryteuthis pealei), an ecological and economical valuable taxon, were reared from eggs to hatchlings (paralarvae) in ambient (390 ppm) and elevated (2200 ppm) CO₂ concentrations in replicated experimental trials. Animals raised under elevated pCO₂ demonstrated developmental changes. The distribution of the proportion of paralarvae hatching by day differed significantly between treatments in both trials. In addition, body (mantle) length differed significantly between treatments. Aragonite statoliths, used for balance and detecting movement, were significantly shorter, had decreased surface area, and were typically malformed in paralarvae reared under elevated pCO₂. These results indicate that squid may be adversely impacted by ocean acidification conditions in multiple ways. These effects could impact squid paralarvae behavior and survival in the wild, which raises concern for direct and indirect consequences to marine food webs and commercial fisheries.