New Scientist
Image: Rebecca Morgan
Bad news for oyster lovers. As the ocean acidifies, oyster larvae are struggling to build their shells, reducing the number that reach adulthood.
We already knew that acidifying oceans spell trouble for many marine species: the shells of some marine snails in the Southern Ocean have already begun to dissolve. But now there is evidence that some creatures are under threat just when they need it least – as they are trying to form their protective shells.
The Pacific Northwest oyster harvest has been disappointing for the last few years. One possible explanation comes from recent studies that show oyster larvae are significantly less likely to survive as seawater pH falls. To find out why, George Waldbusser‘s team at Oregon State University in Corvallis studied oyster larvae during their first three weeks of development.
They discovered that the tiny larvae undergo a dramatic growth spurt during their first 48 hours of life, forming new shell at a rate 10 times higher than they do when they are five days old. Read more on newscientist.com…
