(Table 1) Redox potential and chemical element contents in CaCO3 and amorphous silica free matter in surface layer bottom sediments of the Pacific Ocean from Hawaiian Islands to Mexico coast

Distribution of Fe, Mn, P, Ti, Cu, Ni, Co, V, Cr, W, Mo, and As in the surface sediment layer on the section from the Hawaiian Islands to the coast of Mexico (Mexico section) is studied. Contents of all studied elements increase from biogenic-terrigenous sediments off the coast of Mexico to pelagic red clays of the Northeast Basin, and more sharply for mobile elements - Mn, Mo, Cu, Ni, Co, and As. In near Hawaii sediments rich in coarsely fragmented volcanic-terrigenous and pyroclastic material of basaltic composition with high contents of Ti, Fe, V, Cr, W, and P, contents of these elements increase sharply, and contents of Mn, Mo, Ni, Co, and Cu for the same reason decrease sharply in comparison with red clay. Abnormally high contents of Mn, Mo, Cu, Ni, Co, and As in the upper layer of hemipelagic and transition sediments of the Mexico section result from diagenetic redistribution and their accumulation on the surface. Processes of diagenetic redistribution in hemipelagic and transition sediment mass of the Mexico section are more rapid than in similar sediments of the Japan section due lower sedimentation rates and higher initial concentrations of Mn. Basic similarity of element distribution regularities in sediments of Japan and Mexico sections is shown.

Results from experiments and investigations on the kelp crab Taliepus dentatus

Studies of thermal tolerance in marine ectotherms are key in understanding climate effects on ecosystems; however, tolerance of their larval stages has rarely been analyzed. Larval stages are expected to be particularly sensitive. Thermal stress may affect their potential for dispersal and zoogeographical distribution. A mismatch between oxygen demand and the limited capacity of oxygen supply to tissues has been hypothesized to be the first mechanism restricting survival at thermal extremes. Therefore, thermal tolerance of stage zoea I larvae was examined in two populations of the Chilean kelp crab Taliepus dentatus, which are separated by latitude and the thermal regime. We measured temperature-dependent activity, oxygen consumption, cardiac performance, body mass and the carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) composition in order to: (1) examine thermal effects from organismal to cellular levels, and (2) compare the thermal tolerance of larvae from two environmental temperature regimes. We found that larval performance is affected at thermal extremes indicated by decreases in activity, mainly in maxilliped beat rates, followed by decreases in oxygen consumption rates. Cardiac stroke volume was almost temperature-independent. Through changes in heart rate, cardiac output supported oxygen demand within the thermal window whereas at low and high temperature extremes heart rate declined. The comparison between southern and central populations suggests the adaptation of southern larvae to a colder temperature regime, with higher cardiac outputs due to increased cardiac stroke volumes, larger body sizes but similar body composition as indicated by similar C:N ratios. This limited but clear differentiation of thermal windows between populations allows the species to widen its biogeographical range.

Gasterosteus aculeatus egg traits and fish lengths vs. experiment setup

1) Our study addresses the role of non-genetic and genetic inheritance in shaping the adaptive potential of populations under a warming ocean scenario. We used a combined experimental approach (transgenerational plasticity and quantitative genetics) to partition the relative contribution of maternal vs. paternal (additive genetic) effects to offspring body size (a key component of fitness), and investigated a potential physiological mechanism (mitochondrial respiration capacities) underlying whole organism growth/size responses. 2) In very early stages of growth (up to 30 days), offspring body size of marine sticklebacks benefited from maternal transgenerational plasticity (TGP): offspring of mothers acclimated to17°C were larger when reared at 17°C, and offspring of mothers acclimated to 21°C were larger when reared at 21°C. The benefits of maternal TGP on body size were stronger and persisted longer (up to 60 days) for offspring reared in the warmer (21°C) environment, suggesting that maternal effects will be highly relevant for climate change scenarios in this system. 3) Mitochondrial respiration capacities measured on mature offspring (F1 adults) matched the pattern of TGP for juvenile body size, providing an intuitive mechanistic basis for the maternal acclimation persisting into adulthood. Size differences between temperatures seen at early growth stages remained in the F1 adults, linking offspring body size to maternal inheritance of mitochondria. 4) Lower maternal variance components in the warmer environment were mostly driven by mothers acclimated to ambient (colder) conditions, further supporting our tenet that maternal effects were stronger at elevated temperature. Importantly, all parent-offspring temperature combination groups showed genotype x environment (GxE) interactions, suggesting that reaction norms have the potential to evolve. 5) To summarise, transgenerational plasticity and genotype x environment interactions work in concert to mediate impacts of ocean warming on metabolic capacity and early growth of marine sticklebacks. TGP can buffer short-term detrimental effects of climate warming and may buy time for genetic adaptation to catch up, therefore markedly contributing to the evolutionary potential and persistence of populations under climate change.

Seawater carbonate chemistry and growth rate during experiments with phylotypes of Symbiodinium (Dinophyceae), 2011

We investigated the effect of elevated partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) on the photosynthesis and growth of four phylotypes (ITS2 types A1, A13, A2, and B1) from the genus Symbiodinium, a diverse dinoflagellate group that is important, both free-living and in symbiosis, for the viability of cnidarians and is thus a potentially important model dinoflagellate group. The response of Symbiodinium to an elevated pCO2 was phylotype-specific. Phylotypes A1 and B1 were largely unaffected by a doubling in pCO2 in contrast, the growth rate of A13 and the photosynthetic capacity of A2 both increased by ~ 60%. In no case was there an effect of ocean acidification (OA) upon respiration (dark- or light-dependent) for any of the phylotypes examined. Our observations suggest that OA might preferentially select among free-living populations of Symbiodinium, with implications for future symbioses that rely on algal acquisition from the environment (i.e., horizontal transmission). Furthermore, the carbon environment within the host could differentially affect the physiology of different Symbiodinium phylotypes. The range of responses we observed also highlights that the choice of species is an important consideration in OA research and that further investigation across phylogenetic diversity, for both the direction of effect and the underlying mechanism(s) involved, is warranted.