Meeting Abstract

85.5  Thursday, Jan. 7  Potential to adapt? Heritability of larval growth in an acidified ocean SUNDAY, Jennifer M.*; CRIM, Ryan; HARLEY, Chris D.G.; HART, Michael W.; Simon Fraser University; University of British Columbia; University of British Columbia; Simon Fraser University sunday@sfu.ca

Under future atmospheric CO₂ projections and the associated decrease of oceanic pH, the vulnerability marine organisms, particularly at their larval stages, has come under concern. Laboratory studies show that growth and development of calcifying larvae are negatively affected by increased partial pressures of CO₂ in seawater, but there is individual variability in the response. A key parameter for trait evolution is the extent to which this variability is heritable, allowing for a more efficient response to selection. Using a full factorial mating design, we estimated the heritability of growth response under elevated CO₂ conditions in larvae of the Northeast Pacific sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus franciscanus, and mussel, Mytilus trossulus.