Seminar title: Natural analogues provide valuable insights on the potential mechanisms for fish adaptation and acclimation in the face of changing ocean conditions.

Speaker:

Dr. Davide Spatafora, Shimoda Marine Research Centre (SMRC), Tsukuba University, Shimoda City, Shizuoka, Japan

Abstract:

Natural analogues are characterized by temporal and spatial environmental fluctuations and are home to pre-adapted ‘biodiversity’ (e.g., organisms chronically exposed to high CO₂ conditions). Therefore, these spots provide a unique opportunity to investigate the ability of the fish to acclimate or adapt to future ocean conditions thus informing us about how they may adjust in a future world. Here, we reported evidence for local behavioural adaptation and/or acclimatization to projected ocean acidification conditions of fish living around the Vulcano Island natural CO₂ vent (Southern Italy). The responses of two temperate fish species, characterized by a limited home range, have been investigated and compared between fish from low-pH/high pCO₂ sites and fish from control sites. Furthermore, we presented a transplanting experiment conducted in Palau’s Nikko Bay (last month) to assess ecological and genetics responses of tropical fish to several environmental disturbances (e.g., high CO₂, sedimentation, hypoxia). Overall, these studies will contribute towards understanding the potential resilience of fish under future ocean conditions.

Biography:

Davide is a postdoctoral researcher in a joint project between University of Tsukuba & ICONA (International CO₂ Natural Analogues Network). Davide’s research interests focus on understanding the impacts of environmental changes on marine communities. Currently, he is particularly interested in predicting the potential for fish behavioural, physiological and molecular local adaptation to projected future ocean conditions at CO₂ seeps.

Zoom link:

to be announced