MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 626:83-96 (2019) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13059 Temperature and salinity influence on element incorporation into Mytilus galloprovincialis larvae shells: discerning physiological from environmental control Andreia Carvalho1, Inês Gomes1, Stephen E. Swearer2, Henrique Queiroga1, Laura G. Peteiro1,3,* 1Department of Biology & CESAM, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal 2School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia 3Departamento de Ecoloxía e Bioloxía Animal, Facultade de Ciencias do Mar, Universidade de Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Spain *Corresponding author: lauragpeteiro@gmail.com ABSTRACT: Geochemical signatures in calcified structures of marine organisms have been widely used as environmental markers and natural tags, reflecting seawater characteristics and allowing the study of larval dispersal patterns. However, the role of environmental, biological and physiological factors in the incorporation of trace elements in carbonate structures is still not fully elucidated. Here, we investigated the effects of temperature and salinity on the incorporation of several elements (23Na, 24Mg, 48Ca, 55Mn, 63Cu, 88Sr and 137Ba) in larval shells of Mytilus galloprovincialis. Larvae were cultured in the laboratory under different temperatures (12, 17, 20°C) and salinities (26, 32, 37) in a factorial design. Results showed an enrichment of Na/Ca, Sr/Ca and Cu/Ca ratios in shells under low salinity and high temperature treatments. Mg incorporation in the shell was also affected by temperature. Mn/Ca and Ba/Ca were the only elements with no clear relationship to the factors tested, indicating lower physiological control and/or alternative pathways for incorporation. Our results suggest the need for careful interpretation in the use of geochemical structures as environmental proxies due to the high physiological control over shell deposition. Nonetheless, temperature and salinity effects on shell composition can contribute to finding differential tags between habitats with similar elemental availability. Understanding the underlying mechanisms of element incorporation into larval shells constitutes crucial baseline information to interpret environmental signatures in ecological studies. KEY WORDS: Geochemical signatures · Larval shells · Temperature · Salinity · Mytilus galloprovincialis · Physiological control Full text in pdf format PreviousNextCite this article as: Carvalho A, Gomes I, Swearer SE, Queiroga H, Peteiro LG (2019) Temperature and salinity influence on element incorporation into Mytilus galloprovincialis larvae shells: discerning physiological from environmental control. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 626:83-96. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13059 Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 626. Online publication date: September 12, 2019 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2019 Inter-Research.