Data from: Adult exposure to ocean acidification is maladaptive for larvae of the Sydney rock oyster Saccostrea glomerata in the presence of multiple stressors

Parental effects passed from adults to their offspring have been identified as a source of rapid-acclimation that may allow marine populations to persist as our surface oceans continue to decrease in pH. Little is known, however, whether parental effects are beneficial for offspring in the presence of multiple stressors. We exposed adults of the oyster, Saccostrea glomerata, to elevated CO2 and examined these impacts of elevated CO2 (control=392; 856 µatm) combined with elevated temperature (control=24; 28˚C), reduced salinity (control=35; 25) and reduced food concentration (control=full; half diet) on their larvae. Adult exposure to elevated CO2 had a positive impact on larvae reared at elevated CO2 as a sole stressor, which were 8% larger and developed faster at elevated CO2 compared with larvae from adults exposed to ambient-CO2. These larvae, however, had significantly reduced survival in all multistressor treatments. This was particularly evident for larvae reared at elevated CO2 combined with elevated temperature or reduced food concentration, with no larvae surviving in some treatment combinations. Larvae from CO2-exposed adults had a higher standard metabolic rate. Our results provide evidence that parental exposure to ocean acidification may be maladaptive when larvae experience multiple stressors.

成体向子代传递的亲本效应，已被证实是一种快速适应机制，可帮助海洋种群在表层海水pH持续下降的背景下得以存续。然而，目前学界对多重胁迫因子存在时亲本效应是否对子代有益仍知之甚少。本研究将囊牡蛎（Saccostrea glomerata）的成体暴露于高浓度CO₂环境中，探究了高CO₂（对照组为392 µatm，处理组为856 µatm）与升温（对照组24℃，处理组28℃）、盐度降低（对照组35，处理组25）以及食物浓度降低（对照组为足量投喂，处理组为半量投喂）的多重胁迫组合，对其子代幼体的影响。当成体仅受高CO₂胁迫时，其幼体表现出积极生长效应：与亲代暴露于正常CO₂环境的幼体相比，高CO₂环境下培育的幼体体型大8%，发育速度更快。但当幼体处于多重胁迫处理组时，其存活率显著降低。这种效应在高CO₂结合升温或低食物浓度的处理组中尤为显著，部分处理组合下甚至无幼体存活。此外，亲代暴露于高CO₂环境的幼体，其标准代谢率更高。本研究结果表明，当幼体面临多重胁迫时，亲代暴露于海洋酸化环境所产生的亲本效应可能是适应不良的。