Your browser doesn't support javascript.
loading
Ocean acidification alters predator behaviour and reduces predation rate.
Watson, Sue-Ann; Fields, Jennifer B; Munday, Philip L.
Afiliación
  • Watson SA; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia sueann.watson@jcu.edu.au.
  • Fields JB; Pitzer College, Claremont, CA 91711, USA.
  • Munday PL; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia.
Biol Lett ; 13(2)2017 Feb.
Article en En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28148828
ABSTRACT
Ocean acidification poses a range of threats to marine invertebrates; however, the emerging and likely widespread effects of rising carbon dioxide (CO2) levels on marine invertebrate behaviour are still little understood. Here, we show that ocean acidification alters and impairs key ecological behaviours of the predatory cone snail Conus marmoreus Projected near-future seawater CO2 levels (975 µatm) increased activity in this coral reef molluscivore more than threefold (from less than 4 to more than 12 mm min-1) and decreased the time spent buried to less than one-third when compared with the present-day control conditions (390 µatm). Despite increasing activity, elevated CO2 reduced predation rate during predator-prey interactions with control-treated humpbacked conch, Gibberulus gibberulus gibbosus; 60% of control predators successfully captured and consumed their prey, compared with only 10% of elevated CO2 predators. The alteration of key ecological behaviours of predatory invertebrates by near-future ocean acidification could have potentially far-reaching implications for predator-prey interactions and trophic dynamics in marine ecosystems. Combined evidence that the behaviours of both species in this predator-prey relationship are altered by elevated CO2 suggests food web interactions and ecosystem structure will become increasingly difficult to predict as ocean acidification advances over coming decades.
Asunto(s)
Palabras clave

Texto completo: 1 Banco de datos: MEDLINE Asunto principal: Dióxido de Carbono / Gastrópodos Límite: Animals Idioma: En Revista: Biol Lett Asunto de la revista: BIOLOGIA Año: 2017 Tipo del documento: Article País de afiliación: Australia

Texto completo: 1 Banco de datos: MEDLINE Asunto principal: Dióxido de Carbono / Gastrópodos Límite: Animals Idioma: En Revista: Biol Lett Asunto de la revista: BIOLOGIA Año: 2017 Tipo del documento: Article País de afiliación: Australia