Reduced early life growth and survival in a fish in direct response to increased carbon dioxide

Abstract

Adult fish seem relatively resilient to increased carbon dioxide levels, but how early-life-stage fish fare remains less clear. In a study, the estuarine fish Menidia beryllina experienced severely reduced survival and growth rates in its early life stages under levels of ocean acidification expected later this century. This suggests that ocean acidification may affect fish populations, because small changes in early-life survival can generate large fluctuations in adult-fish abundance.