October 30, 2018 Journal article Open Access

Functional spatial contextualisation of the effects of multiple stressors in marine bivalves

Giacoletti, Antonio; Sarà, Gianluca

<p><strong>Abstract.</strong> Many recent studies have revealed that the majority of environmental stressors experienced by marine organisms (ocean acidification, global warming, hypoxia etc.) occur at the same time and place, and that their interaction may complexly affect a number of ecological processes. Here, we experimentally investigated the effects of pH and hypoxia on the functional and behavioural traits of the mussel <i>Mytilus galloprovincialis</i>, we then simulated the potential effects on growth and reproduction dynamics trough a Dynamic Energy Budget (DEB) model under a multiple stressor scenario. Our simulations showed that hypercapnia had a remarkable effect by reducing the maximal habitat size and reproductive output differentially as a function of the trophic conditions, where modelling was spatially contextualized. This study showed the major threat represented by the hypercapnia and hypoxia phenomena for the growth, reproduction and fitness of mussels under the current climate change context, and that a mechanistic approach based on DEB modelling can illustrate complex and site-specific effects of environmental change, producing that kind of information useful for management purposes, at larger temporal and spatial scales.</p>