Influence of Temperature, Hypercapnia, and Development on the Relative Expression of Different Hemocyanin Isoforms in the Common CuttlefishSepia officinalis
The cuttlefish Sepia officinalis expresses several hemocyanin isoforms with potentially different pH optima, indicating their reliance on efficient pH regulation in the blood. Ongoing ocean warming and acidification could influence the oxygen-binding properties of respiratory pigments in ectothermic marine invertebrates. This study examined whether S. officinalis differentially expresses individual hemocyanin isoforms to maintain optimal oxygen transport during development and acclimation to elevated seawater pCO2 and temperature. Using quantitative PCR, we measured relative mRNA expression levels of three different hemocyanin isoforms in several ontogenetic stages (embryos, hatchlings, juv…
Symposium on “Climate Change and Molluscan Ecophysiology” at the 79thAnnual Meeting of the American Malacological Society
Climate change has already had many observable effects on Earth. On land, glaciers and snowpacks have shrunk, tropical forests are being replaced by savannahs, and coastal areas have increased risks of flooding (e.g., IPCC 2007, Allan and Soden 2008, Dai 2010, NOAA 2010, Chen et al. 2011). In addition to sea-surface warming, climate change has altered the physical and chemical nature of the marine environment, including ocean acidification and expanding hypoxia. The scope and scale of future environmental change that individuals will undergo on land and in the sea will fundamentally influence the ecological and evolutionary responses of populations and species, dependent on their evolved ph…