Award Abstract # 1538626
RUI: Will climate change cause 'lazy larvae'? Effects of climate stressors on larval behavior and dispersal

NSF Org: OCE
Division Of Ocean Sciences
Recipient: WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
Initial Amendment Date: August 21, 2015
Latest Amendment Date: August 21, 2015
Award Number: 1538626
Award Instrument: Standard Grant
Program Manager: Cynthia Suchman
csuchman@nsf.gov
 (703)292-2092
OCE
 Division Of Ocean Sciences
GEO
 Directorate For Geosciences
Start Date: September 1, 2015
End Date: August 31, 2020 (Estimated)
Total Intended Award Amount: $421,136.00
Total Awarded Amount to Date: $421,136.00
Funds Obligated to Date: FY 2015 = $421,136.00
History of Investigator:
  • Shawn Arellano (Principal Investigator)
    shawn.arellano@wwu.edu
  • M Brady Olson (Co-Principal Investigator)
  • Sylvia Yang (Co-Principal Investigator)
Recipient Sponsored Research Office: Western Washington University
516 HIGH ST
BELLINGHAM
WA  US  98225-5996
(360)650-2884
Sponsor Congressional District: 02
Primary Place of Performance: Shannon Point Marine Center
Western Washington University
Anacortes
WA  US  98221-4042
Primary Place of Performance
Congressional District:
02
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): U3ZFA57417D4
Parent UEI: U3ZFA57417D4
NSF Program(s): BIOLOGICAL OCEANOGRAPHY
Primary Program Source: 01001516DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
Program Reference Code(s): 006Z, 1382, 9229
Program Element Code(s): 1650
Award Agency Code: 4900
Fund Agency Code: 4900
Assistance Listing Number(s): 47.050

ABSTRACT

In the face of climate change, future distribution of animals will depend not only on whether they adjust to new conditions in their current habitat, but also on whether a species can spread to suitable locations in a changing habitat landscape. In the ocean, where most species have tiny drifting larval stages, dispersal between habitats is impacted by more than just ocean currents alone; the swimming behavior of larvae, the flow environment the larvae encounter, and the length of time the larvae spend in the water column all interact to impact the distance and direction of larval dispersal. The effects of climate change, especially ocean acidification, are already evident in shellfish species along the Pacific coast, where hatchery managers have noticed shellfish cultures with 'lazy larvae syndrome.' Under conditions of increased acidification, these 'lazy larvae' simply stop swimming; yet, larval swimming behavior is rarely incorporated into studies of ocean acidification. Furthermore, how ocean warming interacts with the effects of acidification on larvae and their swimming behaviors remains unexplored; indeed, warming could reverse 'lazy larvae syndrome.' This project uses a combination of manipulative laboratory experiments, computer modeling, and a real case study to examine whether the impacts of ocean warming and acidification on individual larvae may affect the distribution and restoration of populations of native oysters in the Salish Sea. The project will tightly couple research with undergraduate education at Western Washington University, a primarily undergraduate university, by employing student researchers, incorporating materials into undergraduate courses, and pairing marine science student interns with art student interns to develop art projects aimed at communicating the effects of climate change to public audiences

As studies of the effects of climate stress in the marine environment progress, impacts on individual-level performance must be placed in a larger ecological context. While future climate-induced circulation changes certainly will affect larval dispersal, the effects of climate-change stressors on individual larval traits alone may have equally important impacts, significantly altering larval transport and, ultimately, species distribution. This study will experimentally examine the relationship between combined climate stressors (warming and acidification) on planktonic larval duration, morphology, and swimming behavior; create models to generate testable hypotheses about the effects of these factors on larval dispersal that can be applied across systems; and, finally, use a bio-physically coupled larval transport model to examine whether climate-impacted larvae may affect the distribution and restoration of populations of native oysters in the Salish Sea.

PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH

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Lawlor, Jake and SM Arellano "Temperature and salinity, not acidification, predict near-future larval growth and larval habitat suitability of Olympia oysters in the Salish Sea." Scientific Reports , v.10 , 2020 , p.13787 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-69568-w
McIntyre, Brooke A., E.E. McPhee-Shaw, M.B.A. Hatch, SM Arellano "Location Matters: Passive and Active Factors Affect the Vertical Distribution of Olympia Oyster (Ostrea lurida) Larvae." Estuaries and Coasts. , v.44 , 2020 , p.199 https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-020-00771-8

PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT

Disclaimer

This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.

Most marine invertebrates begin their lives as tiny planktonic larvae that utilize ocean currents to disperse from their release sites. For species that are immobile as adults, this planktonic larval duration (PLD) represents the only time during which organisms are capable of transport between suitable habitats, making this life stage critical for distribution of important marine species. Global ocean changes resulting from climate change can alter the length of this PLD limiting the timeframe in which transport is possible. Larval behavioral responses to the environment may change as the climate changes the ocean, and the physical and hydrodynamic environments in the ocean will shift as well. Together, these impacts of climate change will influence larval dispersal pathways, population connectivity, and range shift velocities for important marine species.

This project explored the impacts of environmentally induced biological and behavioral changes in marine invertebrate larvae, using the Olympia oyster as a model. Previous anecdotal observations suggested oyster larvae become "lazy" and stop swimming as a result of ocean acidification. This particular species is economically, ecologically, and culturally important and has been the target of restoration efforts along the US west coast. We used a novel experimental approach to rear Olympia oyster larvae under interacting gradients of temperature, salinity, and ocean acidification, which are among the most important variables predicted to change as a result of climate shifts. We then used this data to model growth rate and duration of Olympia oyster larvae and predict the suitability of habitats for larval survival in the Salish Sea, a marginal sea located in British Columbia and Washington State. Our modeling showed that present temperature and salinity conditions in the Salish Sea are actually suboptimal for the growth and survival of larvae of Olympia oysters and these larvae might actually benefit from warming since the Salish Sea is near their present northern range edge. Larval growth and survival of these oysters tended to be relatively resilient to ocean acidification but results on larval behavioral responses to acidification varied and may be family dependent. We are working in collaboration with oceanographers the to integrate these results into a dispersal model to test the effects of climate-induced changes to larval growth, PLDs, and behavior on larval dispersal potential and population connectivity. Our initial modeled scenarios suggest that Olympia oyster larval durations will greatly decrease in the future, leading to changes in dispersal potential, dependent on regional hydrodynamic processes. We also explored the relationships between environmental factors and larval vertical distributions of the Olympia oyster through strategic larval sampling in Fidalgo Bay, a shallow, tidally flushed bay in the Salish Sea. Similar to our Salish Sea dispersal model predictions, sampling in Fidalgo Bay demonstrated the importance of larval vertical distribution behavior and underscored the importance of integrating local hydrodynamics into predictions of bivalve larval transport.

The project tightly coupled research and education of master's and undergraduate students at Western Washington University (WWU), a primarily undergraduate university. Mentorship was a core value of the project; the principal investigators (PI) worked closely with all students involved and built connections between students at all levels. Two students earned their master's degrees by participating in this project. One of these students has gone on to a doctoral program and the other is a State-sponsored researcher in a field closely related to the project scope. Participating undergraduate researchers included five WWU students, five NSF-Research Experience for Undergraduates interns from Minnesota, Wisconsin, New York, and Puerto Rico, and one undergraduate volunteer from California. The project provided direct research training for students from underrepresented groups, including at least six students who identify with racial/ethnic groups that are underserved in STEM and multiple first-generation college students. Additionally, we coupled student research with public outreach through a partnership between a summer REU site-program and a project-sponsored undergraduate art internship aimed at developing artwork to communicate climate change. This collaboration between students, informed by PI-led workshops on climate change, visualizations in science, and communication, produced featured artwork displayed at a local arts festival that regularly attracts an estimated 90,000 visitors.

 

 


Last Modified: 05/03/2021
Modified by: Shawn M Arellano

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