Elucidating responses of the intertidal clam Ruditapes philippinarum to compound extreme oceanic events

Highlights

• Heatwaves and acidification increasingly co-occur as climate drivers.
• Declining enzymes showed heat and acidification suppress metabolism.
• Transient antioxidant spikes revealed initial heat damage defenses.
• Gene changes showed bioenergetic, protein, and ion transport issues.

Abstract

Ocean acidification and heatwaves caused by rising CO₂ affect bivalves and other coastal organisms. Intertidal bivalves are vital to benthic ecosystems, but their physiological and metabolic responses to compound catastrophic climate events are unknown. Here, we examined Manila clam (Ruditapes philippinarum) responses to low pH and heatwaves. Biochemical and gene expression demonstrated that pH and heatwaves greatly affect physiological energy enzymes and genes expression. In the presence of heatwaves, Manila clams expressed more enzymes and genes involved in physiological energetics regardless of acidity, even more so than in the presence of both. In this study, calcifying organisms’ biochemical and molecular reactions are more susceptible to temperature rises than acidity. Acclimation under harsh weather conditions was consistent with thermal stress increase at lower biological organization levels. These substantial temporal biochemical and molecular patterns illuminate clam tipping points. This study helps us understand how compound extreme weather and climate events affect coastal bivalves for future conservation efforts.

Masanja F., Luo X., Jiang X., Xu Y., Mkuye R., Liu Y. & Zhao L., 2024. Elucidating responses of the intertidal clam Ruditapes philippinarum to compound extreme oceanic events. Marine Pollution Bulletin 204: 116523. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116523. Article.

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