Ocean Acidification Biological Impacts and Research Robert Foy

Ocean Acidification: Biological Impacts and Research Robert Foy and Tom Hurst Alaska Fisheries Science Center 2014 AOOS Ocean Acidification Workshop Linking Knowledge to Need: Responding to Ocean Acidification (OA) in Alaska December 2, 2014

NOAA Alaska Fisheries Science Center Research Approach Focal species groups • Commercially important fish and shellfish species; • Their prey (calcareous plankton); • And shelter (corals). Objectives • Ocean p. H monitoring • Understand species-specific physiological responses; • Forecast population impacts and economic consequences.

King and Tanner Crab Research W. Christopher Long, Katherine M. Swiney, and Robert J. Foy 2006 -2007 pilot experiments: effects of p. H change on growth and survival of blue king crab. • Long, Swiney, Foy. 2013. 2008 AFSC ocean acidification research plan Effects of Ocean acidification on embryos and larvae of red king crab, Paralithodes camtschaticus. Marine Pollution Bulletin. 69: development 38 -47. 2008 -2009 methods development: —water chemistry and mineral measurement method —effective CO 2 delivery system designed for red king crab —Additional response variables • Long, Swiney, Harris, Page, Foy. 2013. Effects of ocean acidification on 2010 -2013 experimentation: juvenile red king crab (Paralithodes —Red king crab larval growth and survival response to increased p. CO camtschaticus)2 and —Golden king crab adult physiological response to increased. Tanner p. COcrab 2 (Chionoecetes bairdi). —Tanner crab larval and adult response to increased p. CO 2 PLo. S ONE 8(4).

King and Tanner Crab Research Why Crab? ? • Important shell (cuticle) components are chitin, calcium carbonate and protein • Calcium carbonate occurs mainly as calcite although the amorphous form sometimes occurs red king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus) blue king crab (Paralithodes platypus) golden king crab (Lithodes aequispinus)

King and Tanner Crab Research Depth distributions Affected by p. H? Affected by Ca. CO 3 saturation state? As depth increases: (pressure increases, temperature decreases, and p. H decreases) – all of which promote the dissolution of Ca. CO 3.

King and Tanner Crab Research Experiments: Ø Red king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus) adult females Ø Red king crab embryos and larvae Ø Red king crab juveniles Ø Tanner crab (Chionoecetes bairdi) juveniles Ø Golden king crab (Lithodes aequispinus) adults Response variables: Survival, fecundity, morphometrics (image analysis), growth (width and wet mass), calcification Treatment system: • Flow through CO 2 delivery system • p. H control • Daily p. H, temperature, and salinity measurement • Weekly water samples taken for DIC and Alkalinity

Kodiak Fisheries Research Center Seawater OA Treatment system: Facility • • Open, flow through CO 2 delivery system 2 L/min – 10 L/min Current capability: 1 control, 4 CO 2 treatments In construction: 2 controls, 8 CO 2 treatments, 3 temperature treatments, variable control • p. H control • Daily p. H, temperature, and salinity measurement • Weekly water samples taken for DIC and Alkalinity

Red King Crab Embryos • Adult females collected from Bristol Bay fishery • p. Hs: Ambient and 7. 7 (~2100) • Decreased p. H associated with smaller eggs and embryos and larger yolks.

Red King Crab Larvae • Larvae collected as they hatched • Starvation survival experiments fully crossed with “mom” treatments • 5 replicates with 20 larvae • p. Hs: ambient and 7. 7 • Calcification increased • Morphometrics varied • Survival decreased acidified “mom” and acidified larvae control “mom” and control larvae

Red King Crab Juveniles • • Crabs held in individual containers Control, p. H 7. 8, p. H 7. 5 30 crabs/treatment Check for molts/mortalities • Measure p. H/temp • Growth (length and mass) reduced • Calcium content did not change Tradeoff?

Red King Crab Juveniles • • Crabs held in individual containers Control, p. H 7. 8, p. H 7. 5 30 crabs/treatment Survival decreased with decreasing p. H

King Crab Population Effects Bristol Bay red king crab fishery: Michael Dalton, Andre Punt • OA scenarios based on trends in recruitment • Forecasts based on bioeconomic model linked to a population dynamics model UAF USCG

King Crab Population Effects: Red King Crab stock dynamics without OA • At a p. H of 7. 8 stocks and catches decline stock dynamics with OA • Under current catch levels fishery would be closed in about 2100 • Punt, Poljak, Dalton, Foy. 2014. Evaluating the impact of ocean acidification on fishery yields and profits: The example of red king crab in Bristol Bay. Ecological Modeling. 285: 39 -53.

Ocean Acidification outreach Kodiak Fisheries Research Center Ocean Science Discovery Lab Ø NMFS and Kodiak Island Borough School District collaboration Ø Goal: to improve Ocean Science Literacy in grades K -12 • Middle School: What is OA? How do you measure ocean p. H? • Intro to p. H scale and ocean chemistry • Algal growth and plankton exposure experiments • High School: HS Oceanography class • Local OA background • Global OA implications • Climate change

Thank you. Questions? • Alaska Fisheries Science Center Research Staff WWW. AFSC. NOAA. GOV