What is it about?
About a quarter of the human-produced carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere is absorbed by the ocean. This causes changes to water chemistry, such as lowering pH, which is called ocean acidification. In this study, short-term exposure to ocean acidification conditions, along with varying temperature, changed the physiology of juvenile Atlantic sea scallops. The effect was reduced ability for scallops to obtain and use energy for growth. ● At higher temperatures, scallops were less able to obtain and use energy for growth. ● Growth rates were further reduced under higher OA conditions.
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Why is it important?
This is an example of how multiple stressors can worsen effects on an economically and ecologically important species. Sea scallops are one of the most valuable fisheries in the U.S. with harvesters receiving just over $670 million for catches in 2021. We need longer experiments at all life stages to understand the combined effects of climate change on the Atlantic sea scallop and its ability to adapt to those changes.
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This page is a summary of: Juvenile Atlantic sea scallop, Placopecten magellanicus, energetic response to increased carbon dioxide and temperature changes, PLOS Climate, February 2023, PLOS,
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pclm.0000142.
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