Efecto de la hipercapnia en el desarrollo temprano del erizo de mar Echinometra vanbrunti.

Abstract

In the present study, the sea urchin Echinometra vanbrunti in its first 50 hours of development was subjected to two hypercapnia conditions (moderate hypercapnia pH-T 7.44; high hypercapnia pH-T 7.17; and control condition pH-T 7.88). In high hypercapnia, there was a significant decrease in Ω-Calcite and Ω-Aragonite saturation and it is in this condition that significant mortality was detected (43.58 ± 2.81 individuals/ml) with respect to the control (68.15 ± 6.12 individuals/ml), as well as developmental delay, determined by body length (101.59 ± 12.0 μm) compared to the control (128.39 ± 8.20 μm). Growth retardation identified by total arm length was also evident in high hypercapnia (148.91 ± 9.69 μm) and moderate hypercapnia (177.47 ± 3.97 μm) compared to control (227.81 ± 6.72 μm). The long arm/body ratio in control (1.78 ± 0.06) was higher in contrast to moderate hypercapnia (1.52 ± 0.07) and high hypercapnia (1.48 ± 0.12). The arm size ratio was not affected at 24 hours post-fertilization in moderate hypercapnia (1.03 ± 0.01) and high hypercapnia (1.05 ± 0.01) compared to control (1.03 ± 0.01) nor at 50 hours post-fertilization in moderate hypercapnia (1.04 ± 0.01) and high hypercapnia (1.06 ± 0.03) compared to control (1.05 ± 0.02). This work identifies for the first time in Ecuador the physiological response of the sea urchin E. vanbrunti to hypercapnia conditions.