Stage-dependent life-history, physiological, and behavioral responses to low pH in an estuarine crab

M Pérez García; T A Luppi; J D Nuñez; N Servetto; E H Ocampo

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2025.118408

Stage-dependent life-history, physiological, and behavioral responses to low pH in an estuarine crab

Mar Pollut Bull. 2025 Jul 10:220:118408. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2025.118408. Online ahead of print.

Authors

M Pérez García¹, T A Luppi², J D Nuñez², N Servetto³, E H Ocampo²

Affiliations

¹ Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), FCEyN, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata-CONICET, CC1260, 7600 Mar del Plata, Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina. Electronic address: mperezgarcia@mdp.edu.ar.
² Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), FCEyN, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata-CONICET, CC1260, 7600 Mar del Plata, Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
³ Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Cátedra de Ecología Marina, Av. Vélez Sarsfield 299, X5000JJC Córdoba, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA), Ecosistemas Marinos Polares, Av. Vélez Sarsfield 299, X5000JJC Córdoba, Argentina.

PMID: 40644905
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2025.118408

Abstract

Early stages of marine invertebrates are vulnerable to ocean acidification. We investigated low pH effects on larval stages of the crab Neohelice granulata. We hypothesized that Zoea I, adapted to fluctuating environments, would show greater resilience than Zoea II and III, which develop in stable nearshore areas. We assessed pH 8 -control-, pH 7.5, and pH 6.9 effects on intermolt duration, mortality, oxygen consumption, and swimming behavior. Zoea I tolerated low pH with no changes in development or mortality, though oxygen consumption decreased at pH 6.9. In contrast, Zoea II and III showed delayed development, higher mortality, and reduced oxygen consumption at pH 6.9. While Zoea I showed no changes in swimming, Zoea II and III exhibited reduced swimming velocity and distance traveled under acidified conditions. These findings show that Zoea II and III are more sensitive to low pH, while Zoea I is more resilient.

Keywords: Larval development; Mortality; Neohelice granulata; Ocean acidification; Oxygen consumption; Swimming behavior.