Ocean acidification (OA) is expected to decrease the strength of bivalves' shells, especially during the early stages of development, with negative consequences to the resilience of natural populations and the economy. The objectives of the present study were to assess the long-term effect of increasing pCO(2) after 217 days of exposure under controlled conditions of pH of similar to 8.2, 8.0, and 7.7 on the st...
This study aimed to characterize the catches, quantify fishing yield, bycatch and discards, and also estimate damage and mortality rates using hand dredges with two different mesh sizes (20 and 25 mm) for harvesting the wedge clam (Donax trunculus). A total of 160 tows were performed in Lota Beach and Armona Island in the Algarve coast (southern Portugal). Overall, were caught 12,319 individuals (3985 in Lota B...
Rhodolith (maerl) beds are biodiversity hotspots with a worldwide distribution. Maerl is the general term for free-living non-geniculate rhodoliths or coralline red algae. In southern Portugal, maerl beds are mainly composed of Phymatolithon lusitanicum, recently identified as a new species and commonly misidentified as Phymatolithon calcareum. Photosynthesis, respiration, and growth rates of the algae were mea...
Maerl/rhodolith beds are protected habitats that may be affected by ocean acidification (OA), but it is still unclear how the availability of CO2 will affect the metabolism of these organisms. Some of the inconsistencies found among OA experimental studies may be related to experimental exposure time and synergetic effects with other stressors. Here, we investigated the long-term (up to 20months) effects of OA ...