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Biocalcification in the Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea virginica) in Relation to Long-term Trends in Chesapeake Bay pH

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Abstract

Anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions reduce pH of marine waters due to the absorption of atmospheric CO2 and formation of carbonic acid. Estuarine waters are more susceptible to acidification because they are subject to multiple acid sources and are less buffered than marine waters. Consequently, estuarine shell forming species may experience acidification sooner than marine species although the tolerance of estuarine calcifiers to pH changes is poorly understood. We analyzed 23 years of Chesapeake Bay water quality monitoring data and found that daytime average pH significantly decreased across polyhaline waters although pH has not significantly changed across mesohaline waters. In some tributaries that once supported large oyster populations, pH is increasing. Current average conditions within some tributaries however correspond to values that we found in laboratory studies to reduce oyster biocalcification rates or resulted in net shell dissolution. Calcification rates of juvenile eastern oysters, Crassostrea virginica, were measured in laboratory studies in a three-way factorial design with 3 pH levels, two salinities, and two temperatures. Biocalcification declined significantly with a reduction of ∼0.5 pH units and higher temperature and salinity mitigated the decrease in biocalcification.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by a National Science Foundation award #OCE-0622999 to MAG and GGW and The Geneva Boone Endowed Award Fund to EPV by St. Mary’s College of Maryland. We thank two anonymous reviewers for helpful and critical feedback on a previous version of this manuscript. We thank M. Luckenbach and S. Bonniwell of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science-Eastern Shore Laboratory for providing juvenile oysters. Components of this research were conducted as an undergraduate senior research thesis by EPV in partial fulfillment of requirements for a B.A. GGW would also like to thank Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, where this work was conducted.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, 104 COAS Administration Building, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA

    George G. Waldbusser & Heather Bergschneider

  2. Southeast Coast Inventory and Monitoring Network, Fort Sumter National Monument, Sullivan’s Island, SC, 29482, USA

    Erin P. Voigt

  3. Division of Natural Sciences, St. Joseph’s College of Maine, 278 Whites Bridge Road, Standish, ME, 04084, USA

    Mark A. Green

  4. Horn Point Laboratory, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, 2020 Horns Point Rd, Cambridge, MD, 21613, USA

    Roger I. E. Newell

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  1. George G. Waldbusser
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  2. Erin P. Voigt
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  5. Roger I. E. Newell
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Correspondence to George G. Waldbusser.

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Waldbusser, G.G., Voigt, E.P., Bergschneider, H. et al. Biocalcification in the Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea virginica) in Relation to Long-term Trends in Chesapeake Bay pH. Estuaries and Coasts 34, 221–231 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-010-9307-0

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