Shan Encui, Li Yan, Meng Leiming, Yang Zhi, Yuan Xiutang
Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai, 264003, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, PR China.
China South-to-North Water Diversion Corporation Limited, Beijing, 100080, PR China.
Mar Environ Res. 2025 Sep;210:107260. doi: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2025.107260. Epub 2025 May 30.
Sea cucumbers, as ecosystem engineers, effectively clear nutrient accumulation in sediments, thus alleviating ecological pressure imposed on marine environments by the large-scale aquaculture industry. However, water temperature continues to increase because of increased carbon dioxide emissions, affecting the physiological and behavior state of sea cucumbers. Moreover, limited research exists on sea cucumber at varying temperatures. In this study, we evaluated the temperature-dependent effects of the temperate sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus (Selenka) on sedimentary physicochemical characteristics across the temperature gradients (10-30 °C). Results indicated that A. japonicus exhibited optimal growth and bioturbation activity at 10-15 °C, significantly reducing bacterial abundance, chlorophyll a, and nutrient concentrations (OM, TOC, TC, TN) in sediments, while improving sediment oxidation-reduction potential. In contrast, higher temperatures (25-30 °C) suppressed sea cucumber performance and weakened their impact on sediment quality. These findings underscore the importance of maintaining optimal temperature regimes for the effective use of A. japonicus in sustainable management of aquaculture systems. Given that ocean temperatures are projected to increase in intensity and duration, sea cucumbers may help to mitigate nutrient accumulation and promote redox states in sediments, and potentially improving the stability of sedimentary environments against the backdrop of ocean warming.
海参作为生态系统工程师，能有效清除沉积物中的养分积累，从而减轻大规模水产养殖业对海洋环境造成的生态压力。然而，由于二氧化碳排放增加，水温持续上升，影响了海参的生理和行为状态。此外，关于不同温度下海参的研究有限。在本研究中，我们评估了温带海参刺参（Selenka）在温度梯度（10 - 30°C）下对沉积物理化特性的温度依赖性影响。结果表明，刺参在10 - 15°C时表现出最佳生长和生物扰动活动，显著降低了沉积物中的细菌丰度、叶绿素a和养分浓度（OM、TOC、TC、TN），同时提高了沉积物的氧化还原电位。相比之下，较高温度（25 - 30°C）抑制了海参的性能，并削弱了它们对沉积物质量的影响。这些发现强调了维持最佳温度条件对于在水产养殖系统的可持续管理中有效利用刺参的重要性。鉴于预计海洋温度在强度和持续时间上都会增加，海参可能有助于减轻沉积物中的养分积累并促进氧化还原状态，并有可能在海洋变暖的背景下提高沉积环境的稳定性。
