Near future ocean acidification increases growth rate of the lecithotrophic larvae and juveniles of the sea star Crossaster papposus.

Ocean acidification (OA) is believed to be a major threat for near-future marine ecosystems, and that the most sensitive organisms will be calcifying organisms and the free-living larval stages produced by most benthic marine species. In this respect, echinoderms are one of the taxa most at risk. Earlier research on the impact of near-future OA on echinoderm larval stages showed negative effects, such as a decreased growth rate, increased mortality, and developmental abnormalities. However, all the long-term studies were performed on planktotrophic larvae while alternative life-history strategies, such as nonfeeding lecithotrophy, were largely ignored. Here, we show that lecithotrophic echinoderm larvae and juveniles are positively impacted by ocean acidification. When cultured at low pH, larvae and juveniles of the sea star Crossaster papposus grow faster with no visible affects on survival or skeletogenesis. This suggests that in future oceans, lecithotrophic species may be better adapted to deal with the threat of OA compared with planktotrophic ones with potentially important consequences at the ecosystem level. For example, an increase in populations of the top predator C. papposus will likely have huge consequences for community structure. Our results also highlight the importance of taking varying life-history strategies into account when assessing the impacts of climate change, an approach that also provides insight into understanding the evolution of life-history strategies.

Profiles and levels of fatty acid esters of okadaic acid group toxins and pectenotoxins during toxin depuration. Part II: blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) and flat oyster (Ostrea edulis).

Bivalve molluscs accumulate toxins of the okadaic acid (OA) and pectenotoxin (PTX) groups, which are frequently found in Dinophysis spp. Transformation of the OA-group toxins into fatty acid ester derivatives (often designated "DTX3") is common in many bivalve species but the degree to which these toxins are transformed vary between species, and is also depending on the parent toxin involved. In this paper, detailed profiles and levels of fatty acid esters of OA, DTX1, DTX2 and PTX2 SA were studied in blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) and European flat oysters (Ostrea edulis), collected during a bloom of Dinophysis spp. and after 3 and 6 weeks of depuration. Analysis of samples by HPLC-MS/MS and HPLC-MS(2) revealed some differences in identity and abundance of fatty acid moieties of the OA-group esters between species, but the 16:0 fatty acid esters dominated in both oysters and mussels, which is in accordance with the free fatty acid profiles in these species. A wider range of PTX2 SA-esters were detected compared to esters of the OA-group toxins in both mussels and oysters, and in oysters, both 14:0, 18:4 and 20:5 fatty acid side chains were more common than 16:0. OA-group toxins were esterified to a larger degree in oysters (83-93%) compared to mussels (21-41%), and in mussels a higher proportion of OA was esterified compared to DTX1 and DTX2. Contrary to what was observed for OA-group toxins, PTX2 SA was esterified to a larger degree in mussels (81%) compared to oysters (64%). Calculations of depuration rates for all individual esters of each parent compound showed that the esters of DTX1 depurated significantly slower from both mussels and oysters compared to esters of OA, DTX2 and PTX2 SA, but overall the depuration rates of esters of both toxin group were highly similar for both species. This indicated that differences in depuration rates are not causing the large species-specific differences in levels and profiles of these toxins. Instead, the results for the OA-group toxins suggested that a higher rate of esterification in oysters is the main factor causing the observed differences in the proportion of esters to free toxin. For PTX2 SA, large differences in ester profiles and a higher proportion of esters of PTX2 SA in mussels compared to oysters suggested differential assimilation and metabolic rate processes for the PTXs compared to OA-group toxins between these species. Hence, although produced by the same Dinophysis species, conclusions about the dynamics of one toxin group based on results from the other group should be avoided in future studies.