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Elevated CO2 enhances otolith growth in young fish.
David M Checkley1, Andrew G Dickson, Motomitsu Takahashi
1Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, USA. dcheckley@ucsd.edu
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|June 27, 2009
Summary
High carbon dioxide levels from human activity cause ocean acidification. Surprisingly, young fish ear bones (otoliths) grew larger under these conditions, contrary to expectations for mineral growth.
Area of Science:
- Marine Biology
- Oceanography
- Biomineralization
Background:
- Human activities release significant carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere.
- A substantial portion of atmospheric CO2 is absorbed by the oceans, leading to ocean acidification.
- Ocean acidification lowers seawater pH, potentially impacting marine organisms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of elevated CO2 conditions on the growth of fish otoliths.
- To challenge the prevailing understanding of how ocean acidification affects biomineralization in marine organisms.
Main Methods:
- Culturing young fish under controlled high CO2 (low pH) conditions.
- Analyzing the size of otoliths (aragonite ear bones) from fish exposed to different pH levels.
Main Results:
- Otoliths of young fish exposed to high CO2 conditions were significantly larger than those of control fish.
- This finding contradicts the expected impact of reduced pH on mineral formation.
Conclusions:
- The study hypothesizes that CO2 freely permeates the epithelium surrounding otoliths in young fish.
- This facilitates accelerated otolith growth by maintaining local pH control, a novel finding in biomineralization research.
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