Department of Ocean Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
Glob Chang Biol. 2021 Jul;27(14):3272-3281. doi: 10.1111/gcb.15647. Epub 2021 May 1.
Multigenerational exposure is needed to assess the evolutionary potential of organisms in the rapidly changing seascape. Here, we investigate if there is a transgenerational effect of ocean acidification exposure on a calyptraeid gastropod such that long-term exposure elevates offspring resilience. Larvae from wild type Crepidula onyx adults were reared from hatching until sexual maturity for over 36 months under three pH conditions (pH 7.3, 7.7, and 8.0). While the survivorship, growth, and respiration rate of F larvae were unaffected by acute ocean acidification (OA), long-term and whole life cycle exposure significantly compromised adult survivorship, growth, and reproductive output of the slipper limpets. When kept under low pH throughout their life cycle, only 6% of the F slipper limpets survived pH 7.3 conditions after ~2.5 years and the number of larvae they released was ~10% of those released by the control. However, the F progeny from adults kept under the long-term low pH condition hatched at a comparable size to those in medium and control pH conditions. More importantly, these F progeny from low pH adults outperformed F slipper limpets from control conditions; they had higher larval survivorship and growth, and reduced respiration rate across pH conditions, even at the extreme low pH of 7.0. The intragenerational negative consequences of OA during long-term acclimation highlights potential carryover effects and ontogenetic shifts in stress vulnerability, especially prior to and during reproduction. Yet, the presence of a transgenerational effect implies that this slipper limpet, which has been widely introduced along the West Pacific coasts, has the potential to adapt to rapid acidification.
多世代暴露是评估快速变化的海洋环境中生物进化潜力所必需的。在这里，我们研究了酸化暴露对一种盔螺科腹足动物是否存在跨代效应，即长期暴露是否会提高后代的弹性。从野生型贻贝成年个体中孵化出的幼虫，在三种 pH 值条件下（7.3、7.7 和 8.0），从孵化到性成熟，进行了超过 36 个月的长期饲养。虽然急性酸化（OA）对 F 代幼虫的存活率、生长和呼吸率没有影响，但长期和整个生命周期的暴露显著降低了滑螺的成年存活率、生长和生殖输出。当它们在整个生命周期中都处于低 pH 值环境下时，只有 6%的 F 代滑螺能够在大约 2.5 年后存活于 pH 值为 7.3 的环境中，它们释放的幼虫数量约为对照组的 10%。然而，从长期处于低 pH 值条件下的成年个体中孵化出的 F 代幼虫，其孵化大小与中值和对照组 pH 值条件下的幼虫相当。更重要的是，这些来自低 pH 值成年个体的 F 代幼虫在低 pH 值条件下表现出更高的幼虫存活率和生长率，以及更低的呼吸率，即使在极端低 pH 值 7.0 条件下也是如此。在长期适应过程中 OA 对代际的负面影响突出了潜在的代际效应和压力脆弱性的个体发育转变，尤其是在繁殖之前和期间。然而，跨代效应的存在意味着这种滑螺，已经广泛引入西太平洋沿岸，有适应快速酸化的潜力。
