Contrasting responsiveness of four ecologically and economically important bivalves to simulated heat waves

Rula Domínguez; Celia Olabarria; Sarah A Woodin; David S Wethey; Laura G Peteiro; Gonzalo Macho; Elsa Vázquez

doi:10.1016/j.marenvres.2020.105229

Contrasting responsiveness of four ecologically and economically important bivalves to simulated heat waves

Mar Environ Res. 2021 Feb:164:105229. doi: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2020.105229. Epub 2020 Dec 3.

Authors

Rula Domínguez¹, Celia Olabarria², Sarah A Woodin³, David S Wethey³, Laura G Peteiro⁴, Gonzalo Macho², Elsa Vázquez²

Affiliations

¹ Departamento de Ecoloxía e Bioloxía Animal, Facultade de Ciencias Do Mar, Campus As Lagoas-Marcosende s/n and Centro de Investigación Mariña, Universidade de Vigo, Illa de Toralla s/n, 36331, Vigo, Spain. Electronic address: rula.domgz@gmail.com.
² Departamento de Ecoloxía e Bioloxía Animal, Facultade de Ciencias Do Mar, Campus As Lagoas-Marcosende s/n and Centro de Investigación Mariña, Universidade de Vigo, Illa de Toralla s/n, 36331, Vigo, Spain.
³ Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, 715 Sumter Street, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA.
⁴ Departamento de Ecoloxía e Bioloxía Animal, Facultade de Ciencias Do Mar, Campus As Lagoas-Marcosende s/n and Centro de Investigación Mariña, Universidade de Vigo, Illa de Toralla s/n, 36331, Vigo, Spain; Instituto de Investigacións Mariñas - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, C/ Eduardo Cabello, 6, 36208, Vigo, Spain.

PMID: 33316606
DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2020.105229

Abstract

Heat waves are expected to increase in duration and frequency, impacting coastal ecosystems, especially intertidal organisms living near their thermal tolerance limits. Sedentary infaunal species are limited to some extent in escapes from sudden temperature changes, rather modifications to their physiology and behaviour are expected. This may lead to strong ecological and economic impacts on commercial bivalve species, such as Venerupis corrugata, Ruditapes decussatus, the introduced Ruditapes philippinarum and Cerastoderma edule, the most relevant in NW Spain. We investigated lethal and sublethal effects of heat during low tide on these species in the laboratory. Summer temperatures experienced within field, shallow sediments at approximately 2 cm depth i.e. 20 °C (control), 27 °C, 32 °C, and 37 °C, were replicated during four consecutive days and the diffusion of heat at the burrowing depth of each species was estimated; temperature exposure was expressed as degree hours above 22 °C. After two days of tidal exposure, C. edule and V. corrugata suffered significant mortalities, and also the most dramatic decrease in scope for growth (SFG) as well as reduction in burrowing activity. After four days under stress, all species had negative SFG. On recovery, species showed compensation at longer exposures, particularly C. edule. These effects of temperature on mortality, growth potential and burrowing ability may increase the time to achieve commercial size and exposure to predation. Particularly, V. corrugata, with a center of distribution lower in the intertidal and subtidal, and C. edule, shallower in the sediment, may be the most affected. Clearly the intensity and frequency of heat waves will affect these key species in the intertidal sediment flats changing ecosystem functioning and fisheries management strategies.

Keywords: Burrowing- mortality –thermal refuge; Heat wave; Intertidal bivalves; Scope for growth; Small-scale fisheries.

MeSH terms

Animals
Bivalvia*
Cardiidae*
Ecosystem
Hot Temperature
Spain