Caribbean king crab larvae and juveniles show tolerance to ocean acidification and ocean warming

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dc.contributor.authorGravinese, Philip M.
dc.contributor.authorPerry, Shelby A.
dc.contributor.authorSpadaro, Angelo Jason
dc.contributor.authorBoyd, Albert E.
dc.contributor.authorEnochs, Ian C.
dc.date.accessioned2023-03-24T05:08:01Z
dc.date.available2023-03-24T05:08:01Z
dc.date.issued2022-05
dc.description.abstractCoastal habitats are experiencing decreases in seawater pH and increases in temperature due to anthropogenic climate change. The Caribbean king crab, Maguimithrax spinosissimus, plays a vital role on Western Atlantic reefs by grazing macroalgae that competes for space with coral recruits. Therefore, identifying its tolerance to anthropogenic stressors is critically needed if this species is to be considered as a potential restoration management strategy in coral reef environments. We examined the effects of temperature (control: 28 °C and elevated: 31 °C) and pH (control: 8.0 and reduced pH: 7.7) on the king crab’s larval and early juvenile survival, molt-stage duration, and morphology in a fully crossed laboratory experiment. Survival to the megalopal stage was reduced (13.5% lower) in the combined reduced pH and elevated temperature treatment relative to the control. First-stage (J1) juveniles delayed molting by 1.5 days in the reduced pH treatment, while second-stage (J2) crabs molted 3 days earlier when exposed to elevated temperature. Juvenile morphology did not differ among treatments. These results suggests that juvenile king crabs are tolerant to changes associated with climate change. Given the important role of the king crab as a grazer of macroalgae, its tolerance to climate stressors suggests that it could benefit restoration efforts aimed at making coral reefs more resilient to increasingly warm and acidic oceans into the future. © 2022, This is a U.S. government work and not under copyright protection in the U.S.; foreign copyright protection may apply.
dc.identifier.citationGravinese, P.M., Perry, S.A., Spadaro, A.J. et al. (2022). Caribbean king crab larvae and juveniles show tolerance to ocean acidification and ocean warming. Marine Biology, 169(65). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-022-04053-8
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-022-04053-8
dc.identifier.issn00253162
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/11416/1006
dc.language.isoen_US
dc.publisherMarine Biology
dc.subject.lcshKing crabs (Caribbean)
dc.subject.lcshOcean acidification
dc.subject.lcshGlobal warming
dc.subject.lcshAnimal behavior—Climatic factors
dc.titleCaribbean king crab larvae and juveniles show tolerance to ocean acidification and ocean warming
dc.typeArticle

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