This dataset contains laboratory experiment data that were collected to examine the effects of ocean acidification on the Atlantic surfclam, Spisula solidissima, a species worth $31 million in 2009. Ocean acidification has negatively impacted growth and survival of multiple bivalve species, but because each species and developmental stage can show different responses, these studies were designed to determine potential impacts of increased CO2 on the larvae of the commercially important surfclam. Additionally, the role of nutrition (i.e., phytoplankton concentration) was included in a portion of these experiments because food availability may be able to mitigate the stress of ocean acidification and because ocean acidification has the potential to impact marine phytoplankton communities. During the summer of 2011, three different experiments were conducted at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution examining the effects of three different pCO2 concentrations on larval surf clams. Two short term experiments (~70h) examined the effect of food availability on early shell development (fed vs unfed). One long term experiment (~21d) was conducted to examine the effects of pCO2 on shell development and metamorphic success (all animals well fed). Carbonate data is reported from these preliminary short-term experiments, and survival and shell length data is reported, in addition to carbonate data, from the long-term experiment. During 2012, one 6 day experiment was conducted examining the role and potential interactive effects of high and low food availability (400 and 40,000 cells ml-1 Tiso) and differential CO2 concentrations (ambient, ~1200 ppm and ~2200ppm). From these experiments, carbonate data, shell length, mass and biochemical compositions are reported. In 2013, two additional experiments were conducted to confirm results obtained in 2012. Unfortunately we observed stunted larval growth, no feeding effect on growth, high mortalities and a general failure to thrive. Given this, we infer poor gamete quality may have been the cause, and have chosen not to interpret these data as results are suspect. Therefore, 2013 data are therefore not included in this data submission.

This dataset includes lab-based measurements of ocean acidification on Caribbean bioeroders (endolithic algae and reef-excavating sponges) collected on Cheeca Rocks Reef, Florida Keys, Northwest Atlantic Ocean, from 2018-06-11 to 2018-07-12. Caribbean coral reef ecosystems have entered a state of net erosion in response to ocean acidification (OA) due to a combination of reduced carbonate production and enhanced bioerosion. The negative response of coral reef calcifiers to OA has been well-established, whereas OA-enhanced bioerosion is relatively poorly understood. Microboring algae and macroboring sponges are both major contributors to coral reef carbonate budgets (Perry et al., 2012). Microboring algae use exclusively chemical (extracellular ion transport) means (Garcia-Pichel, 2006) to break down carbonate framework, whereas macroboring sponges use a combination of both chemical (enzymatic dissolution) and mechanical (substrate dislodgment) methods (Rutzler and Rieger, 1973) to erode reef framework. Prior studies have found that both microboring algae and macroboring sponges appear to benefit from OA through both enhanced bioerosion and physiological fitness, but have disproportionally focused on the responses of Pacific Ocean species. Here, we independently evaluated the OA-response of two Caribbean bioeroders to quantify the impact of OA on their physiology and bioerosion rates.

This dataset contains laboratory experimental data that were collected to examine the effects of elevated levels of carbon dioxide on the growth of Atlantic surfclam (Spisula solidissima), a species that supports both commercial and recreational fisheries in the Northeast United States. Three levels of carbon dioxide enrichment (low, medium, and high) were delivered to surfclams in a 12-week exposure experiment. All treatments were done in 3 replicates (A, B, C). Approximately every 2 to 3 weeks, 12 individuals were removed from each treatment and measurements of length, width, height, dry tissue, and dry shell were recorded. Length was measured across the longest part of the shell, parallel to the hinge. Width was the thickness of the shell, and height was measured form the hinge to the outer edge of the shell. Dry tissue and dry shell samples were dried at 60°C until constant weight was achieved (~5 days). DIC measurements of carbon dioxide enrichment were taken and analyzed on an Apollo SciTech, while pH was measured weekly with a spectrophotometer. Values reported for DIC, pH, temperature, and salinity are the mean of each treatment during the 12-week experiment. The data indicated that increased carbon dioxide affected growth, tissue mass, and shell weight for Atlantic surfclam.

This is data from a laboratory experiment in which mature female Tanner crabs were held at three different pHs (ambient, pH 7.8, and pH 7.5) for approximately two years. The laboratory exposure started on 2011-06-21 and ended on 2013-07-14. At the end of the exposure period samples of both the exoskeleton and claw were taken. Exoskeleton mechanical and elemental properties were analyzed in both the carapace and the claw. This dataset includes only the data from the cuticle analysis. The results of this work are published as: Dickenson, G.H., Bejerano, S., Salvador, T., Makdisi, C., Patel, S., Long, W.C., Swiney, K.M., Foy, R.J., Steffel, B.V., Smith, K.E., and Aaronson, R.B. 2021. Ocean acidification alters exoskeleton properties in adult Tanner crabs, Chionoecetes baridi. J. Exp. Biol. 224: jeb232819. https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.232819.

In this study, we examined how CO2-driven acidification affected the growth and survival of juvenile golden king crab (Lithodes aequispinus), an important fishery species in Alaska. Juveniles were reared from larvae in surface ambient pH seawater at the Kodiak Laboratory. Newly molted early benthic instar crabs were randomly assigned to one of three pH treatments: (1) surface ambient pH ~ 8.2, (2) likely in situ ambient pH 7.8, and (3) pH 7.5. Thirty crabs were held in individual inserts in each treatment for 127 days and checked daily for molting or death. The complete methods, which should be read and understood prior to using this data, are published as: Long, W. C., Swiney, K. M., & Foy, R. J. (2021). Effects of ocean acidification on young of the year golden king crab (Lithodes aequispinus) survival and growth. Marine Biology, 168(8), 126. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-021-03930-y.

This dataset contains model output data to understand the effect of ocean acidification on southern Tanner Crab. Maximum sustainable yield (MSY), maximum economic yield (MEY), spawning biomass corresponding to MSY and MEY, and fishing mortality rates associated with MSY (including MSY proxy of F35%) and MEY, were computed for the southern Tanner crab stock in the Eastern Bering Sea in scenarios with, and without, effects of ocean acidification over the next century. A comparison of computed values provides an estimate of the cumulative effects of ocean acidification. Results include the case when ocean acidification affects juvenile and adult crab, and when ocean ocean acidification affects only hatching success and larval survival. These results indicate that bioeconomic reference points for southern Tanner crab are most sensitive to effects of ocean acidification on juvenile crab.

This dataset contains a laboratory experiment study with the goal of understanding the effects of ocean acidification on the embryos and larvae of red king crab, Paralithodes camtschaticus. The effects of the decline in ocean pH, known as ocean acidification, on marine species are not well understood. To test the effects on embryos and larvae of red king crab, Paralithodes camtschaticus, ovigerous crab and their larvae were held in CO2-acidified (pH 7.7) and control (ambient; pH 8.0) seawater during development. Morphometrics, hatch duration, fecundity, survival, mineral content, and condition were measured. Acidified embryos had 4% larger eyes and 5% smaller yolks, while mean hatch duration was 33% longer and female fecundity was unaffected. Acidified embryos also resulted in 4% longer larvae while acidified larvae had lower survival. Calcium content of both larvae and female carapaces after molting increased by 5% and 19%, respectively. Although ocean acidification may increase larval size and calcium content, the implications of this are unclear and decreased survival is likely to harm red king crab populations.

Marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR) approaches are under development to mitigate the effects of climate change by sequestering carbon in stable reservoirs, with potential co-benefits of local reduction of coastal acidification impacts. One such method is ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE). A specific OAE method is the generation of aqueous alkalinity via electrochemistry to enhance the alkalinity of the receiving water by the extraction of acid from seawater, thereby avoiding issues of solid dissolution kinetics and the release of impurities into the ocean from alkaline minerals. While electrochemical acid extraction is a promising method for increasing the carbon dioxide sequestration potential of the ocean, the biological effects of increasing seawater alkalinity and pH within an OAE project site are relatively unknown. This study aims to address this knowledge gap by testing the effects of increased pH and alkalinity, delivered in the form of aqueous NaOH, on two eelgrass epifauna in the U.S. Pacific Northwest, Taylor’s sea hare (Phyllaplysia taylori) and eelgrass isopod (Idotea resecata), chosen for their ecological importance as salmon prey and for their roles in eelgrass ecosystems. Four-day experiments were conducted in closed bottles to allow measurements of the evolution of carbonate species throughout the experiment with water refreshed twice daily to maintain elevated pH, across pHNBS treatments ranging from 7.8 to 9.3. Sea hares experienced mortality in all pH treatments, ranging from 37% mortality at pHNBS 7.8 to 100% mortality at pHNBS 9.3. Isopods experienced lower mortality rates in all treatment groups, ranging from 13% at pHNBS 7.8 to 21% at pHNBS 9.3, which did not significantly increase with higher pH treatments. These experiments represent an extreme of constant exposure to elevated pH and alkalinity, which should be considered in the context of both the natural variation and the dilution of alkalinity experienced by marine communities across an OAE project site. Different invertebrate species will likely have different responses to increased pH and alkalinity, depending on their physiological vulnerabilities. Investigation of the potential vulnerabilities of local marine species will help inform the decision-making process regarding mCDR planning and permitting.

Multiple stressor studies are needed to better understand the effects of oceanic changes on marine organisms. To determine the effects of near-future ocean acidification and warming temperature on young of the year red king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus) survival, growth, and morphology, we conducted a long-term (184 d) fully crossed experiment with two pHs and three temperatures: ambient pH (~7.99), pH 7.8, ambient temperature, ambient +2 degrees Celsius, and ambient +4 degrees Celsius, for a total of 6 treatments. Mortality rate increased with both reduced pH and by higher temperatures, but interpretation of the multistressor effects is not straightforward as a clear trend was not observed. A synergetic effect was observed; the pH 7.8 and ambient +4 degrees Celsius temperature treatment had the lowest survival, with only 3% surviving to the end of the experiment. However, antagonistic effects were observed in the pH 7.8 ambient +2 degrees Celsius temperature treatment; the mortality rate in this treatment was less than the mortality rate of each of the stressors individually. Despite the effects on mortality, neither decreased pH nor increased temperature had an effect on growth or morphology. The results of this study combined with other studies suggest that ocean acidification and warming may have profound negative effects on red king crab populations in the upcoming decades unless the species is able to quickly adapt or acclimate to changing conditions.