School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
Port Stephens Fisheries Institute, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Taylors Beach, NSW 2316, Australia.
Proc Biol Sci. 2018 Feb 14;285(1872). doi: 10.1098/rspb.2017.2869.
Whether sex determination of marine organisms can be altered by ocean acidification and warming during this century remains a significant, unanswered question. Here, we show that exposure of the protandric hermaphrodite oyster, to ocean acidification, but not warming, alters sex determination resulting in changes in sex ratios. After just one reproductive cycle there were 16% more females than males. The rate of gametogenesis, gonad area, fecundity, shell length, extracellular pH and survival decreased in response to ocean acidification. Warming as a sole stressor slightly increased the rate of gametogenesis, gonad area and fecundity, but this increase was masked by the impact of ocean acidification at a level predicted for this century. Alterations to sex determination, sex ratios and reproductive capacity will have flow on effects to reduce larval supply and population size of oysters and potentially other marine organisms.
在本世纪，海洋酸化和变暖是否会改变海洋生物的性别决定仍是一个重大的、尚未解决的问题。在这里，我们表明，暴露于海洋酸化但不受变暖影响的雌雄同体牡蛎会改变性别决定，从而导致性别比例的变化。仅仅经过一个繁殖周期，雌性就比雄性多 16%。配子发生、性腺面积、繁殖力、壳长、细胞外 pH 值和存活率都因海洋酸化而下降。作为单一胁迫源的变暖略微增加了配子发生、性腺面积和繁殖力，但这一增加被本世纪预测的海洋酸化的影响所掩盖。性别决定、性别比例和生殖能力的改变将对减少牡蛎和其他海洋生物的幼虫供应和种群规模产生连锁反应。
