The Clam Before the Storm: A Meta Analysis Showing the Effect of Combined Climate Change Stressors on Bivalves

Abstract

Abstract. Impacts of a range of climate change on marine organisms have been analysed in laboratory and experimental studies. The use of different taxonomic groupings, and assessment of different processes, though, makes identifying overall trends challenging, and may mask phylogenetically different responses. Bivalve molluscs are an ecologically and economically important data-rich clade, allowing for assessment of individual vulnerability and across developmental stages. We use meta-analysis of 203 unique experimental setups to examine how bivalve growth rates respond to increased water temperature, acidity, deoxygenation, changes to salinity, and combinations of these drivers. Results show that anthropogenic climate change will affect different families of bivalves disproportionally but almost unanimously negatively. Almost all drivers and their combinations have significant negative effects on growth. Combined deoxygenation, acidification, and temperature shows the largest negative effect size. Eggs/larval bivalves are more vulnerable overall than either juveniles or adults. Infaunal taxa, including Tellinidae and Veneridae, appear more resistant to warming and oxygen reduction than epifaunal or free-swimming taxa but this assessment is based on a small number of datapoints. The current focus of experimental set-ups on commercially important taxa and families within a small range of habitats creates gaps in understanding of global impacts on these economically important foundation organisms.

Using Museum collections to assess the impact of industrialization on mussel (Mytilus edulis) calcification

“…The lack of change in shell thickness through time also suggests that changing carbonate chemistry at this setting is not affecting mussel calcification in the same way as seen in other studies. Bivalve growth rates are negatively impacted by climate stressors such as ocean acidification [43]. It has been shown that lowering the pH of the seawater influences pH regulation in the extra-pallial fluid of bivalves [44][45][46] and other physiological process like oxygen consumption [47,48] and increased metabolic rates [45].…”