Reduced pH increases mortality and genotoxicity in an Arctic coastal copepod, Acartia longiremis

Claudia Halsband; Mascha F Dix; Kristine Hopland Sperre; Helena C Reinardy

doi:10.1016/j.aquatox.2021.105961

Reduced pH increases mortality and genotoxicity in an Arctic coastal copepod, Acartia longiremis

Aquat Toxicol. 2021 Oct:239:105961. doi: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2021.105961. Epub 2021 Sep 4.

Authors

Claudia Halsband¹, Mascha F Dix², Kristine Hopland Sperre¹, Helena C Reinardy³

Affiliations

¹ Akvaplan-niva, Fram Centre, Tromsø, Norway.
² Scottish Association for Marine Science, PA37 1QA, Dunstaffnage, UK.
³ Scottish Association for Marine Science, PA37 1QA, Dunstaffnage, UK; University Centre in Svalbard, P.O. Box 156, Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway. Electronic address: helena.reinardy@sams.ac.uk.

PMID: 34517224
DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2021.105961

Abstract

This study investigates DNA damage and mortality in an Arctic marine copepod after long-term exposure to lowered pH. Acartia longiremis were collected from northern Norway and incubated in ambient pH 8.1, and reduced pH 7.6 and 7.2 over 3-4 weeks. Cumulative mortality was significantly elevated in the lowered pH treatments in all exposures. The fluorescence-based fast micromethod for analysis of DNA strand breaks and alkali-labile sites was modified for use on crustaceous zooplankton. DNA damage initially increased in the lowered pH treatments, decreasing after >14 days, and DNA damage was significantly higher in lowered pH conditions. This method is ideal for investigating oxidative stress and genotoxicity response to low pH in Arctic marine copepods exposed to future ocean acidification conditions.

Keywords: Crustacea; DNA damage; fast micromethod; oxidative stress; zooplankton.

MeSH terms

Animals
Copepoda*
DNA Damage
Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
Seawater
Water Pollutants, Chemical* / toxicity

Substances

Water Pollutants, Chemical