CONTEXTUALIZING THE IMPACT OF OCEAN ACIDIFICATION ON VELIGER GROWTH FOR THREE COMMERCIALLY IMPORTANT BIVALVE MOLLUSCS

Abstract

The impact of ocean acidification on the growth rate of bivalve veligers for three commercially important species (Crassostrea gigas, Crassostrea virginica and Mytilus edulis) has been assessed experimentally for the last decade. Based on the results correlating an increase in pCO2 with a reduction in growth rate, these studies have concluded that ocean acidification will have a strong impact on veligers. This study reassesses these results in the context of temperature dependant growth curves derived from historical benchmarks of veliger growth rates. Most of the ocean acidification data points fall within the confidence interval identified by the historical data. This study concludes that in terms of shell growth, ocean acidification exerts a minimal influence on maximum shell length. The differences in experimental methodologies are compared, and the different metrics used to relate ocean acidification to growth are discussed. Recommendations are included for future research and governmental action towards ocean acidification.