Award: OCE-1041213

Award Title: Ocean Acidification-Category 1: Effects of Ocean Acidification on Coastal Organisms: an Ecomaterials Perspective
Funding Source: NSF Division of Ocean Sciences (NSF OCE)
Program Manager: Mary Beth Saffo

Outcomes Report

The material world of ocean acidifcation The survival of many of our favorite coastal organisms depends on the integrity of their structures. Is their shell strong enough to deter predators? Is their attachment to rock secure in the face of strong currents? What happens to coastal marine communities when changing environmental conditions, such as ocean acidification (OA) or warming, alter how key biomaterials are manufactured and maintained? These questions guided our team of marine biomaterials experts based at the University of WashingtonÆs Friday Harbor Laboratories (UW FHL). We targeted a suite of organisms (including mussels, seaweeds and other shellfish), each with a well-known biomaterial that serves a critical ecological function. Our research plan followed our unique ecomaterials approach; we use standard engineering techniques to detail how different combinations of environmental conditions affect the structural integrity of both calcified and non-calcified materials, then ask how such changes scale up to affect the performance of an organism under real-world challenges, such as crashing waves or crushing crab claws. Our ultimate goal is to provide insight into the range of possible biological responses to future changes in climate conditions. A new OAEL is bubbling with activity One of our first activities was to contribute significantly to the build-out of one of FHLÆs newest facilities, the Ocean Acidification Environmental Laboratory (OAEL). Operating full swing in 2012, this state-of-the-art multi-user OA facility offers unique research and instructional opportunities for experimental manipulations with on-site monitoring of carbonate system parameters. The indoor mesocosms we developed were an essential tool for our work, allowing us to expose organisms to highly controlled environmental conditions. The mesocosms have been used widely by other researchers, from the University of Washington and several other institutions. Mussels lose their grip While the oyster has become the "poster child" for the harmful effects OA on shellfish, there is growing concern that mussels are at risk as well. OA is well known to slow growth and erode shells, but our recent work shows OA targets a non-calcified structure that is literally a musselÆs lifeline, the byssal thread. A mussel uses its foot to mold each stretchy byssal thread one at a time to form a strong tether to culture ropes, neighboring mussels and whatever else it can reach. In fact, a challenge all mussel growers face is episodic "fall-off", where water conditions cause mussels to produce weak byssus and up to 20-30% of the harvest slips off the ropes. We have observed similar mortality events in wild mussel populations as well. What exactly triggers weak mussel attachment is unknown, but our recent work has identified two likely culprits: low pH and high temperature. Using our highly controlled laboratory setting at the OAEL, we learned mussels produce weak, poor quality byssal threads if seawater pH is less than 7.6 or temperature is over 18°C. Do mussels on the culture ropes or natural shores ever experience these conditions? We are just beginning to find out, thanks to a new partnership with industry (Penn Cove Shellfish and Taylor Shellfish) and other federal and state agencies (NSF, NOAA, Washington DNR). We recently deployed in mussel rafts two sensor arrays that record temperature, pH, chl a, oxygen and salinity and post real-time to NANOOS (http://nvs.nanoos.org/Explorer, see "Penn Cove"). Our preliminary observations suggest mussels at depth (7 m) experience low pH conditions routinely, but the risk to mussels at the surface (1 m) is more likely high temperature coupled with low salinity and low food. We are now expanding our observations to other locations in the Salish Sea and the Olympic Peninsula. Calcified seaweeds in high CO2? We have also worked extensively on the effects of OA on calcified seaweed...
DatasetLatest Version DateCurrent State
Material properties of mussel byssal threads formed under different pH - All Breaks from Carrington laboratory, Friday Harbor, WA; 2010-2013 (OA - Ecomaterials Perspective project)2013-08-27Preliminary and in progress
Material properties of mussel byssal threads formed under different pH - First Break from Carrington laboratory, Friday Harbor, WA; 2010-2013 (OA - Ecomaterials Perspective project)2013-08-27Preliminary and in progress
Material properties of mussel byssal threads formed under different pH - All Distal Breaks from Carrington laboratory, Friday Harbor, WA; 2010-2013 (OA - Ecomaterials Perspective project)2013-08-27Preliminary and in progress
Material properties of mussel byssal threads formed under different pH - All Plaque Breaks from Carrington laboratory, Friday Harbor, WA; 2010-2013 (OA - Ecomaterials Perspective project)2013-08-27Preliminary and in progress
Material properties of mussel byssal threads formed under different pH - All Proximal Breaks from Carrington laboratory, Friday Harbor, WA; 2010-2013 (OA - Ecomaterials Perspective project)2013-08-27Preliminary and in progress
Material properties of mussel byssal threads formed under different pH - Break Order from Carrington laboratory, Friday Harbor, WA; 2010-2013 (OA - Ecomaterials Perspective project)2013-08-27Preliminary and in progress
Material properties of mussel byssal threads formed under different pH - Plaque Max Force Divided by Proximal Max Force from Carrington laboratory, Friday Harbor, WA; 2010-2013 (OA - Ecomaterials Perspective project)2013-08-27Preliminary and in progress
Material properties of mussel byssal threads formed under different pH - All Yield Values Regardless of Pull Number from Carrington laboratory, Friday Harbor, WA; 2010-2013 (OA - Ecomaterials Perspective project)2013-08-27Preliminary and in progress
Material properties of mussel byssal threads formed under different pH - Model Inputs from Carrington laboratory, Friday Harbor, WA (OA - Ecomaterials Perspective project)2013-08-27Preliminary and in progress
Pterosiphonia bipinnata and Corallina vancouveriensis initial experiment attachment and duration at Deadman Bay on San Juan Island, Washington2019-10-01Final no updates expected
Lab study on the effect of temperature and pCO2 on mussel byssal attachment (thread mechanics) with mussels collected in May 2012 from Argyle Creek, San Juan Island, WA (48.52˚ N, 123.01˚ W)2019-07-24Final no updates expected
Lab study on the effect of temperature and pCO2 on mussel byssal attachment (thread number) with mussels collected in May 2012 from Argyle Creek, San Juan Island, WA (48.52˚ N, 123.01˚ W)2019-07-24Final no updates expected
UW FHL Temperature & Salinity data taken at Friday Harbor, WA between between January 1, 2010 and January 1, 2016 2019-08-20Final no updates expected
Pterosiphonia bipinnata and Corallina vancouveriensis final experiment shear and percent remaining at Deadman Bay on San Juan Island, Washington2019-10-01Final no updates expected
Lab study on the effect of seawater pH and aging on mussel adhesive plaques with mussels collected from Penn Cove Shellfish in Coupeville, Washington.2019-12-10Final no updates expected
Lab study on the effect of dissolved oxygen, salinity, and temperature on mussel adhesive plaques with mussels collected from Penn Cove Shellfish in Coupeville, Washington.2019-12-13Final no updates expected
Lab study on the effect of pH and oxygen fluctuations on mussel adhesive plaques with mussels collected from Penn Cove Shellfish in Coupeville, Washington.2019-12-30Final no updates expected

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Principal Investigator: Emily Carrington (University of Washington)