Seawater carbonate chemistry and survival, feed intake, growth, molting, tissue biochemical constituents, minerals, chitin, and alkaline phosphatase in mud crab Scylla serrata instars

The present investigation evaluated the effect of seawater acidification on the edible marine mud crab Scylla serrata instars. The experimental setup was designed using a multi-cell cage based system assembled with 20 pre holed PVC pipes containing 20 individual crabs to avoid cannibalism. The crab instars were exposed to CO2 driven acidified seawater at pH 7.8 (IPCC forecast pH at the end of the 21st century), 7.6, 7.4, 7.2, and 7.0 for 60 days. The crabs reared in seawater without acidification at pH 8.2 served as control.