Ocean Acidification Impedes Foraging Behavior in the Mud Snail Ilyanassa obsoleta

Abstract

Ocean acidification may diminish the response of many marine organisms to chemical cues that can be used to sense nearby food and predators, potentially altering community dynamics. We used a Y-maze choice experiment to investigate the impact of ocean acidification on the ability of mud snails (Ilyanassa obsoleta) to sense food cues in seawater. Mud snails have a well-adapted chemosensory system and play an important role in estuarine ecosystem functioning. Our results showed substantially diminished foraging success for the mud snail under acidified conditions, as snails typically moved towards the food cue in controls (pH 8.1) and away from it in acidified treatments (pH 7.6). These results, coupled with previous work, clearly demonstrate the magnitude at which ocean acidification may impair foraging efficiency, potentially resulting in severe alterations in future ecosystem dynamics.