Meeting Abstract
Much of the anthropogenically-released carbon dioxide (CO2) dissolves in the ocean, causing ocean acidification (OA). CO2 is predicted to increase in the ocean from current levels of ~400 µatm to end-of-century levels of ~1000 µatm. Exposure to predicted end-of-century CO2 levels has been reported to affect the physiology and behavior of fishes, which could have detrimental consequences for population viability in the future. However, a growing number of studies report no physiological or behavioral changes, suggesting species- or experiment-specific effects and a far from complete understanding of the true impacts of OA. We investigated the possible effect of both short- and long-term exposure to ~1000 µatm CO2 on fish physiology and behavior, using in total ten different species of wild-caught temperate fishes, and wild-caught as well as laboratory-raised coral reef fishes. We filmed all trials and used automated methods to ensure objectivity and transparency. We did not detect any significant impairments in the physiology or behavior of any of the species, revealing that all species were resilient to CO2 exposure. Further, we found no evidence to suggest a role of OA in the interference of GABAA neurotransmitter function. Our findings highlight the need for independent replication before we can reach a consensus on the ecological and physiological effects of OA on fishes.
