THE EFFECTS OF OCEAN ACIDIFICATION ON THE PRECIOUS MEDITERRANEAN RED CORAL
Bramanti L, Rossi S, Gouron M, Movilla J, Gori A, Martínez-Quintana A, Dominguez-Carriò C, Grinyo J, Lopez A, Pelejero C, Calvo E, Ziveri P.
Corallium rubrum (L. 1758) SUBCLASS: OCTOCORALLIA
ORDER: ALCYONACEA
FAMILY: CORALLIDAE
• LONG LIVED AND SLOW GROWING
• ENDEMIC TO MEDITERRANEAN SEA
• BATHIMETRIC RANGE : 20M – 600M
• HIGH ECONOMIC VALUE
HIGH ECONOMIC VALUE DETERMINED HARVESTING
WHICH BROUGHT MANY COASTAL, SHALLOW-
WATER POPULATIONS TO DEPLETION.
ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL VALUE
Madonna di Senigallia, Piero Della Francesca, 1470
Mazu, chinese Sea Goddess
SHALLOW POPULATIONS
• 20 – 50 m DEPTH • HIGH DENSITIES • SMALL SIZE • LOW COMMERCIAL VALUE • HIGH TOURISTIC VALUE
DEEP POPULATIONS
• MORE THAN 50 m DEPTH • LOW DENSITIES • BIG SIZE • HIGH COMMERCIAL VALUE • NO TOURISTIC VALUE
DIFFERENT POPULATIONS
BOTH KINDS OF SKELETAL STRUCTURES ARE MADE OF
HIGH Mg-CALCITE
AXIAL SKELETON AND SCLERITES
30 μm
BOTH KINDS OF SKELETAL STRUCTURES ARE MADE OF
HIGH Mg-CALCITE
AXIAL SKELETON AND SCLERITES
Ω HIGH Mg-CALCITE < Ω ARAGONITE
30 μm
TC
TA ATL MED
HIGH ANTHROPOGENIC CO2 CONCENTRATION PENETRATE IN DEEP SEA MORE PROMINENT IN NW MEDITERRANEAN
MEDITERRANEAN SEA: CARBONATE SYSTEM
Vichi et al, 2011. Climate dynamics
pH
RED CORAL DISTRIBUTION
HYPOTHESES
BIOCHEMISTRY (metabolic cost)
EFFECTS OF LOW pH
BIOCHEMICAL BALANCE Carbohydrates, proteins,
lipids
CALCIFICATION: Buoyant weight
TOTAL ORGANIC MATTER
SCLERITES morphology
GROWTH
EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN
• 2 pH LEVELS: 8.097 AND 7.808 • FIXED 13 °C TEMPERATURE • 3 TANKS PER TREATMENT • 8 COLONIES PER TANK • CONSTANT FLOW
!
pH = 7.808 pH = 8.097
• CO2 AND AIR FREE CO2 BUBBLING • GLASS ELECTRODES • pH CONTROLLER • DAILY CALIBRATION (BUFFER) • MONTHLY TA ANALISYS (TITRATION)
SAMPLING
GROWTH • CALCIFICATION: BUOYANT WEIGHT METHOD NORMALIZED BY INITIAL MASS
• SCLERITE VARIABILITY: SEM OBSERVATION AND MULTIVARIATE ANALYISIS OF MORPHOLOGY (PERMANOVA)
BIOCHEMISTRY • TOTAL ORGANIC MATTER: DIFFERENCE DRY AND ASH WEIGHT • BIOCHEMICAL BALANCE CARBOHYDRATES (Dubois et al, 1956) PROTEINS (Lowry et al, 1951) LIPIDS (Barnes and Blackstock, 1973)
AREA PERIMETER
WIDTH LENGTH
CALCIFICATION RATE
pH = 7.808 pH = 8.097
AFTER 314 DAYS CALCIFICATION RATES REDUCED BY 50% IN LOW pH TREATMENT (ANOVA P<0.01)
SCLERITE MORPHOLOGY
NORMAL ABERRANT
NORMAL ABERRANT
SPICULES MORPHOLOGY DIFFERENT OVER TREATMENTS(PERMANOVA P<0.01) PRESENCE OF ABERRANT FORMS ONLY IN LOW pH TREATMENT
AREA/PERIMETER RATIO WIDTH/LENGTH RATIO CIRCULARITY
AFTER 150 DAYS TOM SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER IN LOW pH TREATMENTS (ANOVA P<0.001)
TOTAL ORGANIC MATTER
CONTROL LOW PH
NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN PROTEIN, CARBOHIDRATES AND
LIPIDS. HIGHER VARIABILIY IN CONTROL
TREATMENTS
PRO
TEINS
LIPIDS
CA
RBOHIDR
ATES
NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN PROTEIN,
CARBOHIDRATES AND LIPIDS (ANOVA P>0.05)
HIGHER VARIABILIY (CV) IN
CONTROL TREATMENTS
BIOCHEMICAL BALANCE CONTROL LOW PH
RED CORAL CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT
FAO GFCM MEETINGS 2011 AND 2012
RECRUITS YOUNGS ADULTS
SURVIVAL RATES
REPRODUCTION
DENSITY Santangelo et al, 2007. JTB
CLASS N° OF COLONIES SURVIVAL FERTILITY
FECUNDITY
SEX
RATIO N° OF
POLYPS PLANULAE
PER CAPITA PRODUCED
PLANULAE PER CLASS PRODECED
1 822 0,89 0 0,87 0,58 0 0,00
2 731 0,63 0 0,87 0,58 6,20 0,00 0,00
3 463 0,70 0,36 0,87 0,58 15,91 2,89 1338,86
4 323 0,52 0,64 0,87 0,58 31,06 10,03 3240,58
5 167 0,44 0,82 0,87 0,58 52,18 21,59 3605,88
6 73 0,29 0,97 0,87 0,58 79,72 39,02 2848,47
7 21 0,57 0,98 0,87 0,58 114,06 56,41 1184,57
8 12 0,33 0,99 0,87 0,58 155,58 77,72 932,65
9 4 0,75 1 0,87 0,58 204,24 103,23 412,91
SINGLE MORTALITY EVENT HARVESTING
MORTALITY + HARVESTING PROTECTION
POPULATION DYNAMICS MODEL
POPULATION DYNAMICS MODEL
SIMULATIONS
Braman4 et al, 2009. Ecol Mod SINGLE MORTALITY EVENT HARVESTING
MORTALITY + HARVESTING PERIODICITY
RECRUITS YOUNGS ADULTS
SURVIVAL RATES
REPRODUCTION
DENSITY Santangelo et al, 2007. JTB
CLASS N° OF COLONIES SURVIVAL FERTILITY
FECUNDITY
SEX
RATIO N° OF
POLYPS PLANULAE
PER CAPITA PRODUCED
PLANULAE PER CLASS PRODECED
1 822 0,89 0 0,87 0,58 0 0,00
2 731 0,63 0 0,87 0,58 6,20 0,00 0,00
3 463 0,70 0,36 0,87 0,58 15,91 2,89 1338,86
4 323 0,52 0,64 0,87 0,58 31,06 10,03 3240,58
5 167 0,44 0,82 0,87 0,58 52,18 21,59 3605,88
6 73 0,29 0,97 0,87 0,58 79,72 39,02 2848,47
7 21 0,57 0,98 0,87 0,58 114,06 56,41 1184,57
8 12 0,33 0,99 0,87 0,58 155,58 77,72 932,65
9 4 0,75 1 0,87 0,58 204,24 103,23 412,91
MANAGEMENT AND CONSERVATION
• Braman4 et al, 2010 FAO, GFCM Transversal Workshop
• Braman4 et al, 2010. NOAA Technical Memorandum CRCP-‐13
• Braman4 et al, 2009 Interna4onal Forum on Precious corals.
SIMULATIONS
Braman4 et al, 2009. Ecol Mod SINGLE MORTALITY EVENT HARVESTING
MORTALITY + HARVESTING PERIODICITY
RECRUITS YOUNGS ADULTS
SURVIVAL RATES
REPRODUCTION
DENSITY Santangelo et al, 2007. JTB
CLASS N° OF COLONIES SURVIVAL FERTILITY
FECUNDITY
SEX
RATIO N° OF
POLYPS PLANULAE
PER CAPITA PRODUCED
PLANULAE PER CLASS PRODECED
1 822 0,89 0 0,87 0,58 0 0,00
2 731 0,63 0 0,87 0,58 6,20 0,00 0,00
3 463 0,70 0,36 0,87 0,58 15,91 2,89 1338,86
4 323 0,52 0,64 0,87 0,58 31,06 10,03 3240,58
5 167 0,44 0,82 0,87 0,58 52,18 21,59 3605,88
6 73 0,29 0,97 0,87 0,58 79,72 39,02 2848,47
7 21 0,57 0,98 0,87 0,58 114,06 56,41 1184,57
8 12 0,33 0,99 0,87 0,58 155,58 77,72 932,65
9 4 0,75 1 0,87 0,58 204,24 103,23 412,91
POPULATION DYNAMICS MODEL
SIMULATIONS
Braman4 et al, 2009. Ecol Mod SINGLE MORTALITY EVENT HARVESTING
MORTALITY + HARVESTING PERIODICITY
RECRUITS YOUNGS ADULTS
SURVIVAL RATES
REPRODUCTION
DENSITY Santangelo et al, 2007. JTB
CLASS N° OF COLONIES SURVIVAL FERTILITY
FECUNDITY
SEX
RATIO N° OF
POLYPS PLANULAE
PER CAPITA PRODUCED
PLANULAE PER CLASS PRODECED
1 822 0,89 0 0,87 0,58 0 0,00
2 731 0,63 0 0,87 0,58 6,20 0,00 0,00
3 463 0,70 0,36 0,87 0,58 15,91 2,89 1338,86
4 323 0,52 0,64 0,87 0,58 31,06 10,03 3240,58
5 167 0,44 0,82 0,87 0,58 52,18 21,59 3605,88
6 73 0,29 0,97 0,87 0,58 79,72 39,02 2848,47
7 21 0,57 0,98 0,87 0,58 114,06 56,41 1184,57
8 12 0,33 0,99 0,87 0,58 155,58 77,72 932,65
9 4 0,75 1 0,87 0,58 204,24 103,23 412,91
OCEAN ACIDIFICATION (BramanG et al., in prep.)
POPULATION DYNAMICS MODEL
CONCLUSIONS
• CALCIFICATION DECREASE BY 50% AFTER 314 DAYS EXPOSURE AT pH 7.8
• SPICULES MORPHOLOGY DIFFERED OVER TREATENTS AND ABERRANT SPICULES ONLY SEEN IN LOW pH TREATMENT
• DECREASE IN TOTAL ORGANIC MATTER AND HIGHER VAIRIABILITY IN PROTEIN, CARBOHIDRATE AND LIPID CONTENTS IN CONTROL COMPARED TO LOW pH TREATMENT SUGGEST LOWER METABOLIC ACTIVITY AT LOW pH TREATMENT.
• RESULTS WILL BE USED TO PARAMETRIZE A DEMOGRAPHIC MODEL IN ORDER TO PROJECT POPULATION STRUCTURE OVER TIME UNDER OCEAN ACIDIFICATION SCENARIO