British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, UK.
Department of Geosciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.
Nat Commun. 2018 Jan 17;9(1):264. doi: 10.1038/s41467-017-02692-w.
The dissolution of the delicate shells of sea butterflies, or pteropods, has epitomised discussions regarding ecosystem vulnerability to ocean acidification over the last decade. However, a recent demonstration that the organic coating of the shell, the periostracum, is effective in inhibiting dissolution suggests that pteropod shells may not be as susceptible to ocean acidification as previously thought. Here we use micro-CT technology to show how, despite losing the entire thickness of the original shell in localised areas, specimens of polar species Limacina helicina maintain shell integrity by thickening the inner shell wall. One specimen collected within Fram Strait with a history of mechanical and dissolution damage generated four times the thickness of the original shell in repair material. The ability of pteropods to repair and maintain their shells, despite progressive loss, demonstrates a further resilience of these organisms to ocean acidification but at a likely metabolic cost.
在过去十年中，海蝴蝶（翼足目动物）脆弱的贝壳溶解现象，集中体现了有关生态系统对海洋酸化脆弱性的讨论。然而，最近的一项研究表明，贝壳的有机层——壳皮，在抑制溶解方面非常有效，这表明翼足目动物的贝壳可能不像之前认为的那样容易受到海洋酸化的影响。在这里，我们使用微计算机断层扫描（micro-CT）技术来展示，尽管在局部区域失去了整个原始贝壳的厚度，但极地物种 Limacina helicina 的标本通过加厚内壁来保持贝壳的完整性。在弗拉姆海峡采集的一个有机械和溶解损伤史的标本，在修复材料中生成了原来贝壳厚度的四倍。尽管存在渐进性损失，翼足目动物仍能修复和维持其贝壳，这表明这些生物对海洋酸化具有更强的适应能力，但可能需要付出代谢代价。
