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Abstract

Predator-prey interactions are often complex and seemingly small disruptions in the system can have large consequences. As anthropogenic CO2 emissions continue to increase and the ocean acidifies in a process called ocean acidification, many marine organisms are documented showing maladaptive behavioral responses. This paper studies the effect of decreasing pH on the response of two important intertidal snails, T. funebralis and T. brunnea, when exposed to predator-conditioned water. Both species live at different heights in the intertidal and are exposed to distinctly different pH conditions. Five discrete pH levels were assessed in this experiment ranging from 7.7-6.5. The results demonstrate that T. funebralis and T. brunnea both exhibit a degraded anti-predator response at low pH, and that their responses do not significantly vary between species. This study suggests that T. brunnea is more tolerant to low pH conditions than previously predicted, and that both species are at risk in a projected acidified ocean.

Biography

Shelby Bacus is currently finishing her B.S in Marine and Coastal Science at the University of California-Davis. She has spent the majority of her last year at university conducting research at Bodega Marine Laboratory investigating how physical and biological stressors affect marine invertebrates. After graduating she plans on pursuing her Ph.D. in marine ecology and biological oceanography.
Email:scbacus@ucdavis.edu