Does sex really matter? Explaining intraspecies variation in ocean acidification responses

Area of Science:

• Marine Biology
• Ecology
• Climate Change Science

Background:

• Ocean acidification (OA) is a growing global threat to marine ecosystems.
• Research on OA effects has increased, but sex-specific responses are understudied.
• Determining sex non-destructively, especially in early life stages, presents a significant challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the critical role of sex in organismal responses to ocean acidification.
• To emphasize that sex-specific impacts on physiology, reproduction, and survival are often overlooked.
• To address the limitations of non-sex-specific studies in forecasting population dynamics under OA.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing OA research focusing on sex-specific impacts.
• Analysis of physiological, reproductive, and biochemical data concerning sex differences under elevated pCO2.
• Comparison of observed sex-specific responses with predictions from ecological theory.

Main Results:

• Sex significantly influences organismal responses to OA, affecting multiple biological aspects.
• Observed sex-specific impacts deviate from traditional ecological theories on resource allocation.
• Fewer than 4% of OA studies have investigated sex-specific responses.

Conclusions:

• Non-sex-specific OA studies risk overlooking crucial ecological differences between males and females.
• Sex-specific responses can have profound implications for the survival and resilience of marine populations.
• Accurate forecasting of marine population fates under future ocean conditions requires incorporating sex as a key variable.