Seawater carbonate chemistry and shell growth rate of Hexaplex trunculus, an important predatory gastropod in benthic communities of Mali Ston Bay

Shell growth rate of Hexaplex trunculus, an important predatory gastropod in benthic communities of Mali Ston Bay was evaluated. A long-term experiment (310 days) was designed to test a range of pH treatments covering present and future pH levels relevant in the context of future ocean acidifi cation (7.95-7.22 pHT) at the sampling site. As growth rate in all pH treatments followed seasonal patterns correlating to changes in seawater temperature, the data were divided into 3 time periods: 1-59 days (temperature ranging between 26.5 & 18.8 °C), 60-236 days (temperature ranging between 20.6 & 8.5 °C), after 236 days (temperature ranging between 27.5 & 14.1 °C).