Effects of low pH and low salinity on the behavior and physiology of the Antarctic limpet, Nacella concinna

초록

The Marian Cove, King George Island is one of the regions where go through the rapid retreat of glaciers as a consequence of recent warming. The intertidal water can be influenced directly by freshwater runoff of melting glaciers with large variations in water pH and salinity. In this study, we investigated the effect of low pH and low salinity in behavior and physiology of the limpet, Nacella concinna, which is one of the most prominent invertebrates in Antarctica. We exposed the limpets to 2×2 different conditions of pH (8.00 and 7.55) and salinity (34.0 and 27.0 psu) and observed following items: righting after being flipped over, mortality, and osmotic response with wet weight for 35 days. There were no significant differences in all of the items between different treatments. Given the results, the combined stressors of low pH and low salinity doesn’t negatively affect on the limpet’s behavior and physiology in a short period. This may explain why N. concinna is abundant on the intertidal zone where the animal can suffer freshwater inflow with large variation of pH and salinity.