Impacts of Ocean Acidification on Hypoxia Induced Aerial Respiration within a Marine Fish

As we move into the Anthropocene, organisms inhabiting marine environments will continue to face growing challenges associated with changes in ocean pH (ocean acidification), dissolved oxygen (dead zones) and temperature. These factors, in combination with naturally variable environments such as the rocky intertidal, may create extreme physiological challenges for organisms that are already performing near their biological limits. Although numerous studies have examined the impacts of climate change stressors on intertidal animals, little is known about the underlying physiological mechanisms driving adaptation to ocean acidification and how this may alter organism interactions, particularly in marine vertebrates. Therefore, we have investigated the effects of decreased ocean pH on the hypoxia response of intertidal sculpins within the genus Clinocottus. We used both behavioral and biochemical based analyses to examine how the energetic demands associated with acclimation to low pH environments may impact the fishes reliance on facultative air breathing in low oxygen environments. This information will provide insight into the potential for multi-stressor environments to alter the behavior of an important intertidal fish that could have cascading effects on ecosystem interactions, such as predator-prey dynamics, within the rocky intertidal.