Abstract
The copepod Lepeophtheirus salmonis is an obligate ectoparasite of salmonids. Salmon lice are major pests in salmon aquaculture and due to its economic impact Lepeophtheirus salmonis is one of the most well studied species of marine parasite. However, there is limited understanding of how increased concentration of pCO2 associated with ocean acidification will impact host-parasite relationships. We investigated the effects of increased pCO2 on growth and metabolic rates in the planktonic stages, rearing L. salmonis from eggs to 12 days post hatch copepodids under three treatment levels: Control (416 µatm), Mid (747 µatm), and High (942 µatm). The pCO2 treatment had a significant effect on oxygen consumption rate with the High treatment animals exhibiting the greatest respiration. The treatments did not have a significant effect on the other biological endpoints measured (carbon, nitrogen, lipid volume, and fatty acid content). The results indicate that L. salmonis have mechanisms to compensate for increased concentration of pCO2and that populations will be tolerant of projected future ocean acidification scenarios. The work reported here also describes catabolism during the lecithotrophic development of L. salmonis, information that is not currently available to parameterize models of dispersal and viability of the planktonic free-living stages.
Highlights
Predictions of long-term change in pCO2 and pH in the ocean, and their possible consequences for marine life, have driven intense research activity into the effects ofHow to cite this article Thompson CRS, Fields DM, Bjelland RM, Chan VBS, Durif CMF, Mount A, Runge JA, Shema SD, Skiftesvik AB, Browman HI. 2019
This study investigates the energetic costs of increased pCO2 on the lecithotrophic stages of Lepeophtheirus salmonis
The lack of a clear linear effect on the salmon louse (L. salmonis) from elevated pCO2 is consistent with other studies on copepods
Summary
Predictions of long-term change in pCO2 and pH in the ocean, and their possible consequences for marine life, have driven intense research activity into the effects ofHow to cite this article Thompson CRS, Fields DM, Bjelland RM, Chan VBS, Durif CMF, Mount A, Runge JA, Shema SD, Skiftesvik AB, Browman HI. 2019. Meta-analyses indicate variable responses to pCO2 among taxa, species within taxa, populations within species, and individuals in any given experiment (e.g., Kroeker et al, 2010; Whiteley, 2011; Garrard et al, 2012; Wittmann & Pörtner, 2013). While this maturing field of research indicates that there will be ‘‘winners and losers’’ in response to ocean acidification (OA), it is more difficult to predict the extent to which future change will impact ecosystems (e.g., Dupont, Dorey & Thorndyke, 2010; Gaylord et al, 2011). This study investigates the energetic costs of increased pCO2 on the lecithotrophic stages of Lepeophtheirus salmonis (hereafter referred to as salmon lice)
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