Meeting Abstract
P3.27 Sunday, Jan. 6 Effects of reduced carbonate saturation state on early development in the edible sea urchin Lytechinus variegatus CHALLENER, R.*; MCCLINTOCK, J.B.; MAKOWSKY, R.; Univ. of Alabama at Birmingham rchallen@uab.edu
Land-based aquaculture facilities often utilize additional bicarbonate sources to boost alkalinity in order to buffer seawater against reductions in pH. Despite these preventative measures, many facilities are likely to face periodic reductions in pH and corresponding reductions in carbonate saturation states due to the accumulation of metabolic waste products. We investigated the impact of reduced carbonate saturation states (ΩCa, ΩAr) on embryonic developmental rates, larval developmental rates, and echinoplutei skeletal morphometrics in the common edible sea urchin Lytechinus variegatus under high alkalinity conditions. Fertilized sea urchin eggs pooled from several adults were distributed among 5 x 1 liter glass beakers per treatment and maintained for 5 days without food. Rates of embryonic and larval development were significantly delayed in both the low and extreme low carbonate saturation state treatments relative to the control at a given time. Larvae reared under ambient control conditions had significantly greater skeletal postoral arm lengths and overall skeletal body lengths relative to skeletal body lengths than larvae grown under extreme low carbonate saturation state conditions, indicating that changes in the carbonate system can impact not only developmental rates but also larval skeletal morphology. Reduced rates of embryonic development and delayed and altered larval skeletal growth are likely to negatively impact larval culturing of L. variegatus in land-based, intensive culture conditions where calcite and aragonite saturation states are lowered by the accumulation of metabolic waste products.
