Beschreibung: The dramatic decline of European eel (Anguilla anguilla) populations over recent decades has attracted considerable attention and concern. Furthermore, little is known about the sensitivity of the early stages of eels to projected future environmental change. Here, we investigated, for the first time, the potential combined effects of ocean warming (OW; delta + 4°C; 18°C) and acidification (OA; delta − 0.4 pH units) on the survival and migratory behaviour of A. anguilla glass eels, namely their preference towards riverine cues (freshwater and geosmin). Recently arrived individuals were exposed to isolated and combined OW and OA conditions for 100 days, adjusting for the salinity gradients associated with upstream migration. A two-choice test was used to investigate migratory activity and shifts in preference towards freshwater environments. While OW decreased survival and increased migratory activity, OA appears to hinder migratory response, reducing the preference for riverine cues. Our results suggest that future conditions could potentially favour an early settlement of glass eels, reducing the proportion of fully migratory individuals. Further research into the effects of climate change on eel migration and habitat selection is needed to implement efficient conservation plans for this critically endangered species.

Beschreibung: Increases in carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases emissions are changing ocean temperature and carbonate chemistry (warming and acidification, respectively). Moreover, the simultaneous occurrence of highly toxic and persistent contaminants, such as methylmercury, will play a key role in further shaping the ecophysiology of marine organisms. Despite recent studies reporting mostly additive interactions between contaminant and climate change effects, the consequences of multi-stressor exposure are still largely unknown. Here we disentangled how Argyrosomus regius physiology will be affected by future stressors, by analysing organ-dependent mercury (Hg) accumulation (gills, liver and muscle) within isolated/combined warming (delta T = 4 °C) and acidification (ΔpCO2 = 1100 μatm) scenarios, as well as direct deleterious effects and phenotypic stress response over multi-stressor contexts. After 30 days of exposure, although no mortalities were observed in any treatments, Hg concentration was enhanced under warming conditions, especially in the liver. On the other hand, elevated CO2 decreased Hg accumulation and consistently elicited a dampening effect on warming and contamination-elicited oxidative stress (catalase, superoxide dismutase and glutathione-S-transferase activities) and heat shock responses. Thus, potentially unpinned on CO2-promoted protein removal and ionic equilibrium between hydrogen and reactive oxygen species, we found that co-occurring acidification decreased heavy metal accumulation and contributed to physiological homeostasis. Although this indicates that fish can be physiologically capable of withstanding future ocean conditions, additional experiments are needed to fully understand the biochemical repercussions of interactive stressors (additive, synergistic or antagonistic).

Beschreibung: Ocean acidification is a consequence of chemical changes driven mainly by a continuous uptake of carbon dioxide, resulting in pH decrease. This phenomenon represents an additional threat to marine life, with expected effects ranging from changes in behavioral responses and calcification rates to the potential promotion of oxidative stress. To unravel the impacts of ocean acidification on the antioxidant system of sharks, we performed a long-term exposure (9 months, since early embryogenesis) to high CO2 conditions (pCO2 900 μatm) on a temperate shark (Scyliorhinus canicula). The following biomarkers were measured: enzymatic antioxidant defense (superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase), protein repair and removal (heat shock proteins and ubiquitin), and oxidative damage on lipids (malondialdehyde) and DNA (8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine). Changes in the antioxidant enzyme defense were restricted to an increase in catalase activity in the muscle, an enzyme that plays a major role in oxidative stress mitigation. On the other hand, no evidence of oxidative damage was found, indicating that the observed increase in catalase activity may be enough to neutralize the effects of potentially higher reactive oxygen species. These results further indicate that these sharks' antioxidant system can successfully cope with the levels of carbon dioxide projected for the end of the century. Nonetheless, the interaction between ocean acidification and the rise in temperature expected to occur in a near future may disturb their antioxidant capacity, requiring further investigation.