Effects of hypoxia and non-lethal shell damage on shell mechanical and geochemical properties of a calcifying polychaete
Calcification is a vital biomineralization process where calcifying organisms construct their calcareous shells for protection. While this process is expected to deteriorate under hypoxia, which reduces the metabolic energy yielded by aerobic respiration, some calcifying organisms were shown to...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2018-06-01
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| Series: | Biogeosciences |
| Online Access: | https://www.biogeosciences.net/15/3267/2018/bg-15-3267-2018.pdf |
| _version_ | 1811225054937088000 |
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| author | J. Y. S. Leung J. Y. S. Leung N. K. M. Cheung N. K. M. Cheung |
| author_facet | J. Y. S. Leung J. Y. S. Leung N. K. M. Cheung N. K. M. Cheung |
| author_sort | J. Y. S. Leung |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Calcification is a vital biomineralization process where calcifying organisms
construct their calcareous shells for protection. While this process is
expected to deteriorate under hypoxia, which reduces the metabolic energy
yielded by aerobic respiration, some calcifying organisms were shown to
maintain normal shell growth. The underlying mechanism remains largely
unknown, but may be related to changing shell mineralogical properties,
whereby shell growth is sustained at the expense of shell quality. Thus, we
examined whether such plastic response is exhibited to alleviate the impact
of hypoxia on calcification by assessing the shell growth and shell
properties of a calcifying polychaete in two contexts (life-threatening and
unthreatened conditions). Although hypoxia substantially reduced respiration
rate (i.e., less metabolic energy produced), shell growth was only slightly
hindered without weakening mechanical strength under unthreatened conditions.
Unexpectedly, hypoxia did not undermine defence response (i.e., enhanced shell
growth and mechanical strength) under life-threatening conditions, which may
be attributed to the changes in mineralogical properties (e.g., increased
calcite / aragonite) to reduce the energy demand for calcification. While more
soluble shells (e.g., increased Mg ∕ Ca in calcite) were produced under
hypoxia as the trade-off, our findings suggest that mineralogical plasticity
could be fundamental for calcifying organisms to maintain calcification under
metabolic stress conditions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T08:59:20Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-64698b8dd21544268502ed95d6c8b004 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1726-4170 1726-4189 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T08:59:20Z |
| publishDate | 2018-06-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Biogeosciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-64698b8dd21544268502ed95d6c8b0042022-12-22T03:39:17ZengCopernicus PublicationsBiogeosciences1726-41701726-41892018-06-01153267327610.5194/bg-15-3267-2018Effects of hypoxia and non-lethal shell damage on shell mechanical and geochemical properties of a calcifying polychaeteJ. Y. S. Leung0J. Y. S. Leung1N. K. M. Cheung2N. K. M. Cheung3School of Biological Sciences, the University of Adelaide, Adelaide, AustraliaDepartment of Biology and Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, ChinaDepartment of Biology and Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, ChinaDepartment of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, the University of Tokyo, Tokyo, JapanCalcification is a vital biomineralization process where calcifying organisms construct their calcareous shells for protection. While this process is expected to deteriorate under hypoxia, which reduces the metabolic energy yielded by aerobic respiration, some calcifying organisms were shown to maintain normal shell growth. The underlying mechanism remains largely unknown, but may be related to changing shell mineralogical properties, whereby shell growth is sustained at the expense of shell quality. Thus, we examined whether such plastic response is exhibited to alleviate the impact of hypoxia on calcification by assessing the shell growth and shell properties of a calcifying polychaete in two contexts (life-threatening and unthreatened conditions). Although hypoxia substantially reduced respiration rate (i.e., less metabolic energy produced), shell growth was only slightly hindered without weakening mechanical strength under unthreatened conditions. Unexpectedly, hypoxia did not undermine defence response (i.e., enhanced shell growth and mechanical strength) under life-threatening conditions, which may be attributed to the changes in mineralogical properties (e.g., increased calcite / aragonite) to reduce the energy demand for calcification. While more soluble shells (e.g., increased Mg ∕ Ca in calcite) were produced under hypoxia as the trade-off, our findings suggest that mineralogical plasticity could be fundamental for calcifying organisms to maintain calcification under metabolic stress conditions.https://www.biogeosciences.net/15/3267/2018/bg-15-3267-2018.pdf |
| spellingShingle | J. Y. S. Leung J. Y. S. Leung N. K. M. Cheung N. K. M. Cheung Effects of hypoxia and non-lethal shell damage on shell mechanical and geochemical properties of a calcifying polychaete Biogeosciences |
| title | Effects of hypoxia and non-lethal shell damage on shell mechanical and geochemical properties of a calcifying polychaete |
| title_full | Effects of hypoxia and non-lethal shell damage on shell mechanical and geochemical properties of a calcifying polychaete |
| title_fullStr | Effects of hypoxia and non-lethal shell damage on shell mechanical and geochemical properties of a calcifying polychaete |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effects of hypoxia and non-lethal shell damage on shell mechanical and geochemical properties of a calcifying polychaete |
| title_short | Effects of hypoxia and non-lethal shell damage on shell mechanical and geochemical properties of a calcifying polychaete |
| title_sort | effects of hypoxia and non lethal shell damage on shell mechanical and geochemical properties of a calcifying polychaete |
| url | https://www.biogeosciences.net/15/3267/2018/bg-15-3267-2018.pdf |
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