Competitive interactions moderate the effects of elevated temperature and atmospheric CO2 on the health and functioning of oysters
2017
Global increases in sea temperatures and atmospheric concentrations of CO2 may affect
the health of calcifying shellfish. Little is known, however, about how competitive inter actions
within and between species may influence how species respond to multiple stressors. We experimentally
assessed separate and combined effects of temperature (12 or 16°C) and atmospheric CO2
concentrations (400 and 1000 ppm) on the health and biological functioning of native (Ostrea edulis)
and invasive (Crassostrea gigas) oysters held alone and in intraspecific or inter specific mixtures. We
found evidence of reduced phagocytosis under elevated CO2 and, when combined with increased
temperature, a reduction in the number of circulating haemocytes. Generally, C. gigas showed
lower respiration rates relative to O. edulis when the species were in intraspecific or interspecific
mixtures. In contrast, O. edulis showed a higher respiration rate relative to C. gigas when held in an
interspecific mixture and exhibited lower clearance rates when held in intraspecific or interspecific
mixtures. Overall, clearance rates of C. gigas were consistently greater than those of O. edulis. Collectively,
our findings indicate that a species’ ability to adapt metabolic processes to environmental
conditions can be modified by biotic context and may make some species (here, C. gigas) competitively
superior and less vulnerable to future climatic scenarios at local scales. If these conclusions
are generic, the relative role of species interactions, and other biotic parameters, in altering the outcomes
of climate change will require much greater research emphasis.
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