Seagrass meadows as ocean acidification refugia for sea urchin larvae

• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167465
• Publication Date: 2023-09-29T06:03:57Z
• Authors: C. Ravaglioli; L. De Marchi; J. Giannessi; C. Pretti; F. Bulleri
• Keywords: Posidonia oceanica; Ocean Acidification; Paracentrotus lividus; Mesocosm

Foundation species have been widely documented to provide suitable habitats for other by ameliorating stressful environmental conditions. Nonetheless, their role in rescuing stress-sensitive from adverse conditions due climate change remains often unexplored. Here, we performed a mesocosm experiment assess whether the seagrass, Posidonia oceanica, through its photosynthetic activity, could mitigate negative effects of ocean acidification on larval development and growth calcifying sea urchin, Paracentrotus lividus. Sea urchin larvae at early late developmental stages that are generally associated benthic habitats, were grown aquaria with or without P. oceanica plants, under ambient low pH predicted end century worst scenario (RCP8.5). The percentage abnormal total body length different experimental assessed early- (i.e., pluteus; 72 h post-fertilization) final-developmental echinopluteus; 30 days post-fertilization), respectively. presence increased mean daily values ∼0.1 ∼0.15 units conditions, respectively, compared tanks plants. When association plutei showed ∼23 % reduction malformations echinoplutei ∼34 increase length, developing Our results suggest increasing altering seawater carbonate chemistry metabolic buffer organisms could, thus, represent tool against climate-driven loss biodiversity.