Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Egg and early larval stages of Baltic cod, Gadus morhua, are robust to high levels of ocean acidification

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Marine Biology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The accumulation of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will lower the pH in ocean waters, a process termed ocean acidification (OA). Despite its potentially detrimental effects on calcifying organisms, experimental studies on the possible impacts on fish remain scarce. While adults will most likely remain relatively unaffected by changes in seawater pH, early life-history stages are potentially more sensitive, due to the lack of gills with specialized ion-regulatory mechanisms. We tested the effects of OA on growth and development of embryos and larvae of eastern Baltic cod, the commercially most important fish stock in the Baltic Sea. Cod were reared from newly fertilized eggs to early non-feeding larvae in 5 different experiments looking at a range of response variables to OA, as well as the combined effect of CO2 and temperature. No effect on hatching, survival, development, and otolith size was found at any stage in the development of Baltic cod. Field data show that in the Bornholm Basin, the main spawning site of eastern Baltic cod, in situ levels of pCO2 are already at levels of 1,100 μatm with a pH of 7.2, mainly due to high eutrophication supporting microbial activity and permanent stratification with little water exchange. Our data show that the eggs and early larval stages of Baltic cod seem to be robust to even high levels of OA (3,200 μatm), indicating an adaptational response to CO2.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Belchier M, Clemmesen C, Cortes L, Doan T, Folkvord A, Garcia A, Geffen A, Hoie H, Johannessen A, Moksness E, de Pontual H, Ramirez T, Schnack D, Sveinsbo B (2004) Recruitment studies: manual on precision and accuracy of tools. In: ICES techniques in marine environmental sciences, series no.33. Copenhagen, Denmark

  • Beldowski J, Loffler A, Schneider B, Joensuu L (2010) Distribution and biogeochemical control of total CO2 and total alkalinity in the Baltic Sea. J Mar Syst 81:252–259

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bradford M (1976) A rapid and sensitive method for the quantization of microgram quantities of protein utilizing the principle of protein-dye binding. Anal Biochem 72:248–254

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Caldeira K, Wickett ME (2003) Anthropogenic carbon and ocean pH. Nature 425:365

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Caldeira K, Wickett ME (2005) Ocean model predictions of chemistry changes from carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere and ocean. J Geophys Res-Oceans 110:12

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Checkley DM, Dickson AG, Takahashi M, Radich JA, Eisenkolb N, Asch R (2009) Elevated CO2 enhances otolith growth in young fish. Science 324:1683

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Clemmesen C (1993) Improvements in the fluorometric-determination of the RNA and DNA content of individual marine fish larvae. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 100:177–183

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Clemmesen C, Doan T (1996) Does otolith structure reflect the nutritional condition of a fish larva? Comparison of otolith structure and biochemical index (RNA/DNA ratio) determined on cod larvae. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 138:33–39

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Devine BM, Munday PL, Jones GP (2011) Homing ability of adult cardinalfish is affected by elevated carbon dioxide. Oecologia. doi:10.1007/s00442-011-2081-2

    Google Scholar 

  • Dickson AG, Millero FJ (1987) A comparison of the equilibrium constants for the dissociation of carbonic acid in seawater media. Deep Sea Res Part A 34:1733–1743

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dixson DL, Munday PL, Jones GP (2010) Ocean acidification disrupts the innate ability of fish to detect predator olfactory cues. Ecol Lett 13:68–75

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ferrari MCO, McCormick MI, Munday PL, Meekan MG, Dixson DL, Lonnstedt Ö, Chivers DP (2011) Putting prey and predator into the CO2 equation—qualitative and quantitative effects of ocean acidification on predator–prey interactions. Ecol Lett 14:1143–1148

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Franke A, Clemme.sen C (2011) Effect of ocean acidification on early life stages of Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus L.). Biogeosciences 8:3697–3707

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frommel AY, Stiebens V, Clemmesen C, Havenhand J (2010) Effect of ocean acidification on marine fish sperm (Baltic cod: Gadus morhua). Biogeosciences 7:3915–3919

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Frommel AY, Maneja R, Lowe D, Malzahn AM, Geffen AJ, Folkvord A, Piatkowski U, Reusch TBH, Clemmesen C (2011) Severe tissue damage in Atlantic cod larvae under increasing ocean acidification. Nature Clim Change. doi:10.1038/NCLIMATE1324

    Google Scholar 

  • Houde ED (2008) Emerging from Hjort’s shadow. J Northwest Atl Fish Sci 41:53–70

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • IPCC (2007) Climate Change 2007: The physical science basis. Contribution of working group I to the fourth assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change. CUP, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Ishimatsu A, Hayashi M, Kikkawa T (2008) Fishes in high CO2, acidified oceans. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 373:295–302

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Koester FW, Hinrichsen HH, Schnack D, St. John MA, Mackenzie BR, Tomkiewicz J, Möllmann C, Kraus G, Plikshs M, Makarchouk A, Aro E (2003) Recruitment of Baltic cod and sprat stocks: identification of critical life stages and incorporation of environmental variability into stock-recruitment relationships. Sci Mar 67:129–154

  • Le Pecq JB, Paoletti C (1966) A new fluorometric method for RNA and DNA determination. Anal Biochem 17:100–107

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lewis E, Wallace DWR (1998) Program developed for CO2 system calculations. ORNL/CDIAC-105. Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory. US Department of Energy, Oak Ridge

  • MacKenzie BR, Gislason H, Möllmann C, Köster FW (2007) Impact of twentyfirst century climate change on the Baltic Sea fish community and fisheries. Glob Change Biol 13:1348–1367

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mehrbach C, Culberso Ch, Hawley JE, Pytkowic RM (1973) Measurement of apparent dissociation constants of carbonic acid in seawater at atmospheric pressure. Limnol Oceanogr 18:897–907

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Meier HEM (2006) Baltic Sea climate in the late twenty-first century: a dynamical downscaling approach using two global models and two emission scenarios. Clim Dyn 27:39–68

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Melzner F, Gobel S, Langenbuch M, Gutowska MA, Pörtner HO, Lucassen M (2009a) Swimming performance in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) following long-term (4–12 months) acclimation to elevated seawater pCO2. Aquat Toxicol 92:30–37

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Melzner F, Gutowska MA, Langenbuch M, Dupont S, Lucassen M, Thorndyke MC, Bleich M, Pörtner HO (2009b) Physiological basis for high CO2 tolerance in marine ectothermic animals: pre-adaptation through lifestyle and ontogeny? Biogeosciences 6:2313–2331

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Morris R (1989) Acid toxicity and aquatic animals. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Munday PL, Dixson DL, Donelson JM, Jones GP, Pratchett MS, Devitsina GV, Doving KB (2009a) Ocean acidification impairs olfactory discrimination and homing ability of a marine fish. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 106:1848–1852

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Munday PL, Donelson JM, Dixson DL, Endo GGK (2009b) Effects of ocean acidification on the early life history of a tropical marine fish. Proc R Soc B-Biol Sci 276:3275–3283

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Munday PL, Dixson DL, McCormick MI, Meekan M, Ferrari MCO, Chivers DP (2010) Replenishment of fish populations is threatened by ocean acidification. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 107:12930–12934

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Munday P, Gagliano M, Donelson JM, Dixson DL, Thorrold SR (2011a) Ocean acidification does not affect the early life history development of a tropical marine fish. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 423:211–221

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Munday PL, Hernaman V, Dixson DL, Thorrold SR (2011b) Effect of ocean acidification on otolith development in larvae of a tropical marine fish. Biogeosciences 8:1631–1641

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nissling A (2004) Effects of temperature on egg and larval survival of cod (Gadus morhua) and sprat (Sprattus sprattus) in the Baltic Sea—implications for stock development. Hydrobiologia 514:115–123

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nissling A, Westin L (1997) Salinity requirements for successful spawning of Baltic and Belt Sea cod and the potential for cod stock interactions in the Baltic Sea. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 152:261–271

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pörtner HO, Langenbuch M, Reipschlaeger A (2004) Biological impact of elevated ocean CO2 concentration: lessons from animal physiology and Earth history. J Oceanogr 60:705–718

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sayer MDJ, Reader JP, Dalziel TRK (1993) Freshwater acidification—effects on the early-life stages of fish. Rev Fish Biol Fish 3:298

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Siegenthaler U, Stocker TF, Monnin E, Luthi D, Schwander J, Stauffer B, Raynaud D, Barnola JM, Fischer H, Masson-Delmotte V, Jouzel J (2005) Stable carbon cycle-climate relationship during the late Pleistocene. Science 310:1313–1317

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Thomsen J, Gutowska MA, Saphorster J, Heinemann A, Trübenbach K, Fietzke J, Hiebenthal C, Eisenhauer A, Kortzinger A, Wahl M, Melzner F (2010) Calcifying invertebrates succeed in a naturally CO2-rich coastal habitat but are threatened by high levels of future acidification. Biogeosciences 7:3879–3891

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

Funding support was provided through the European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) “European Project on Ocean Acidification” (EPOCA, grant agreement N211384) and the project “Biological Impacts of Ocean ACIDification” (BIOACID), funded by the German Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF). The authors are grateful to the RV Alkor crew and supporting scientific staff.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Leibniz-Institute of Marine Sciences IFM-GEOMAR, Duesternbrooker Weg 20, 24105, Kiel, Germany

    Andrea Y. Frommel, Alexander Schubert, Uwe Piatkowski & Catriona Clemmesen

Authors
  1. Andrea Y. Frommel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Alexander Schubert
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Uwe Piatkowski
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Catriona Clemmesen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Andrea Y. Frommel.

Additional information

Communicated by S. Dupont.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Frommel, A.Y., Schubert, A., Piatkowski, U. et al. Egg and early larval stages of Baltic cod, Gadus morhua, are robust to high levels of ocean acidification. Mar Biol 160, 1825–1834 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-011-1876-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-011-1876-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation