Impact of marine heat waves and cold spell events on the bivalve Anomalocardia flexuosa: A seasonal comparison

Abstract

The effects of increasing or decreasing extreme temperatures on bivalves depend on their physiological and biochemical capacity to respond to changes in ambient temperature. We tested the response of the clam Anomalocardia flexuosa to simulated marine heat waves and cold spells, under summer and winter experimental conditions. We sought information about physiological and biochemical parameters, as well as survival rates during two bioassays of 43 days each. The winter cold spell simulations showed that extreme temperatures acted as a physiological and biochemical stimulus, linked to an increase in metabolic rates, and consequently higher maintenance costs, as acclimatory strategies. On the other hand, the summer heat wave extreme temperatures exceeded the individuals' thermal tolerance limits, resulting in an inability to acclimate and a high mortality. These experiments suggest that A. flexuosa can be considered as a sensitive indicator of heat wave events.

Keywords: Biochemical effects; Extreme climatic events; Global change; Lethal effects; Physiological effects; Shallow coastal waters; Temperature.