Type
Text
Type
Thesis
Advisor
Advisor: Allam, Bassem | Committee members: Pales Espinosa, Emmanuelle; Gobler, Christopher J.; Meseck, Shannon
Date
2020-05-01
Keywords
Ocean Acidification
Department
School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences
Language
en
Source
This work is sponsored by the Stony Brook University Graduate School in compliance with the requirements for completion of degree.
Identifier
https://hdl.handle.net/11401/79115
Publisher
The Graduate School, Stony Brook University: Stony Brook, NY.
Format
application/pdf | application/vnd.ms-excel
Abstract
Ocean acidification (OA) is considered to be a major threat to the future of our oceans. There is a substantial gap in knowledge regarding the roles of acclimation versus adaptation for resilience to ocean acidification (OA) in bivalves. This study combines physiological assays with next generation sequencing to assess the potential for recovery and acclimation of the eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) to OA and to evaluate the underlying molecular features for resilience. In a reciprocal transplant experiment, larvae transplanted from elevated (pCO2 ~1400ppm, pH 7.5) to ambient pCO2 (~350ppm, pH 8.1) conditions demonstrated significantly lower mortality and larger size post-transplant than oysters remaining under elevated pCO2 and near equal mortality compared to controls under ambient pCO2. The recovery after transplantation to ambient conditions demonstrates the ability for larvae to rebound quickly and suggests phenotypic plasticity and acclimation contribute to resilience. In a food limitation experiment, OA or OA and starvation did not significantly affect the survival of juvenile oysters as compared to those under ambient conditions. There was a trend for smaller size in juvenile oysters under elevated pCO2, however, the trend was not significant. Juveniles were robust to the effects of OA which may have obscured evidence of an energy reallocation mechanism for resilience. An investigation of transcriptomes supported the hypothesis that acclimation contributes to resilience as genes were differentially regulated under OA stress in larvae and juveniles. Interestingly, the transcriptomic profiles of transplanted and non-transplanted larvae terminating in the same final pCO2 converged, further supporting the idea that acclimation underlies resilience. Several private alleles were present in animals maintained under elevated versus ambient pCO2 suggesting selection and adaptation contribute to resilience in combination with acclimation. Genes differentially expressed and containing private alleles included some that function in cell differentiation and development, biomineralization, ion exchange, and a few genes that are calcium dependent. Together these results support the hypothesis that acclimation and adaptation together serve as modes of resilience in the eastern oyster under OA stress; however, juvenile oysters may be more robust to the effects of OA as compared to vulnerable larvae. In addition to providing a more comprehensive understanding of the effects of OA on bivalves, the identification of genes associated with resilience can serve as a valuable resource for the aquaculture industry that would enable marker-assisted selection of OA-resilient stocks which would protect an economically and ecologically important species. | 111 pages
Recommended Citation
Barbosa, Michelle, "Physiological and Molecular Traits Associated with Resilience to Ocean Acidification in Crassostrea Virginica" (2020). Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions). 3975.
https://commons.library.stonybrook.edu/stony-brook-theses-and-dissertations-collection/3975