Seawater carbonate chemistry and biological processes during experiments with common cuttlefish Sepia officinalis, 2008

Ocean acidification and associated changes in seawater carbonate chemistry negatively influence calcification processes and depress metabolism in many calcifying marine invertebrates. We present data on the cephalopod mollusc Sepia officinalis, an invertebrate that is capable of not only maintaining calcification, but also growth rates and metabolism when exposed to elevated partial pressures of carbon dioxide (pCO2). During a 6 wk period, juvenile S. officinalis maintained calcification under ~4000 and ~6000 ppm CO2, and grew at the same rate with the same gross growth efficiency as did control animals. They gained approximately 4% body mass daily and increased the mass of their calcified cuttlebone by over 500%. We conclude that active cephalopods possess a certain level of pre-adaptation to long-term increments in carbon dioxide levels. Our general understanding of the mechanistic processes that limit calcification must improve before we can begin to predict what effects future ocean acidification will have on calcifying marine invertebrates.

海洋酸化及其伴随的海水碳酸盐化学组成改变，会对多种钙化海洋无脊椎动物的钙化过程产生负面影响，并抑制其代谢活动。本数据集涵盖了头足类软体动物（cephalopod mollusc）真乌贼（Sepia officinalis）的相关数据——该无脊椎动物在暴露于升高的二氧化碳分压（pCO₂）环境时，不仅能够维持钙化过程，还能保持正常的生长速率与代谢水平。在为期6周的实验中，幼体真乌贼在约4000 ppm与约6000 ppm的CO₂环境下均维持了正常的钙化过程，其生长速率与总生长效率均与对照组动物无显著差异。该幼体每日的体重增幅约为4%，其钙化内壳（cuttlebone）的质量更是增长了500%以上。综上，活跃型头足类对二氧化碳浓度的长期升高具备一定程度的预适应能力。在我们能够准确预测未来海洋酸化对钙化海洋无脊椎动物的影响之前，必须进一步深化对限制钙化作用的核心机制的认知。