Crustaceans Our crustacean species are ecologically important, and critical to the economy of the Mid-Atlantic. Species Role 1 Crustacean species support productive fisheries in the Mid-Atlantic region, making them not only ecologically important, but critical to the region’s economy. Certain crustacean species, such as the blue crab, are essential (keystone) species which also serve as a link between the ocean floor (benthic) and the open ocean (pelagic) environment.
Decapods are an order of crustacean, which include the following:
Crabs
Lobsters
Shrimp Effects of Acidification 1 There have been limited studies on crustacean responses to acidification, and those studies have demonstrated variable responses in growth and survival under acidified conditions.
Studies have found that:
Decapods are less sensitive to acidification than other calcifiers due to their efficient shell-building processes
Decapod responses to acidification depend on length of exposure to a pH range of 7.40 to 7.80
Younger life stages of crustaceans are more sensitive to acidification than juveniles and adults Acidification Impacts Vary by Life-Stage 1 Early life stages of crustaceans are more sensitive to ocean acidification than juveniles and adults because of higher metabolism, growth and shell forming rates, stronger stress responses to low oxygen, and higher mortality.
Studies have found that:
Larval blue crabs have lower survival and smaller size at a reduced pH
In a laboratory setting, adult blue crabs calcify more quickly when exposed to high acidity
In juvenile blue crab studies, acidic conditions:
increased calcium carbonate; and
did not impact growth rate or food consumption. Acidification Insights 1 Despite the fact that older crustaceans may be less vulnerable to ocean acidification, it is important to take into account the higher vulnerability of younger crustaceans to understand how populations of crustacean species will be affected in the future.
In order to fully understand crustaceans’ responses to future climate stressors, more studies must be conducted on additional species at different life stages. References Glandon, HL, Kilbourne, KH, Schijf, J, Miller, TJ. submitted. Counteractive effects of increased temperature and pCO2 on the carapace thickness and chemistry of juvenile blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, from the Patuxent River, Chesapeake Bay. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 498, 39–45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jembe.2017.11.005 Glandon, HL, Miller, TJ. 2017. No effect of high pCO2 on juvenile blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, growth and consumption despite positive responses to concurrent warming. ICES Journal of Marine Science: Journal du Conseil 74, 1201-1209. https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsw171 Glitz, SM, Taylor, CM. 2017. Reduced growth and survival in the larval blue crab Callinectes sapidus under predicted ocean acidification. Journal of Shellfish Research 36, 481-485. https://doi.org/10.2983/035.036.0219 Kroeker, KJ, Kordas, RL, Crim, R, Hendriks, IE, Ramajo, L, Singh, GS, Duarte, CM, Gattuso, JP. 2013. Impacts of ocean acidification on marine organisms: quantifying sensitivities and interaction with warming. Global Change Biology 19, 1884-1896. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.12179 Ries, JB, Cohen, AL, McCorkle, DC. 2009. Marine calcifiers exhibit mixed responses to CO2-induced ocean acidification. Geology 37, 1131-1134. https://doi.org/10.1130/G30210A.1 Coffey, W. D., Nardone, J. A., Yarram, A., Long, W. C., Swiney, K. M., Foy, R. J., & Dickinson, G. H. (2017). Ocean acidification leads to altered micromechanical properties of the mineralized cuticle in juvenile red and blue king crabs. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 495, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jembe.2017.05.011 6