Table of Contents

• Coverage
• Dataset Description
  • Methods & Sampling
  • Data Processing Description
• Data Files
• Parameters
• Instruments
• Project Information
• Funding

Olympia oyster mortality samples from cultures in 50 unique combinations of temperature, salinity, pCO2 at Shannon Point Marine Center in May 2018.

We cultured Olympia oyster larvae in 50 unique combinations of temperature, salinity, and pCO2. Larvae were collected on the day of release from Puget Sound Restoration Fund, and overnight shipped to Shannon Point Marine Center, rehydrated, and dispensed into treatment cups. Culture cups were housed in a custom-build head gradient flow-through water bath ranging from ambient (~12°C) to ~30°C and assigned a random salinity value (9-36, by threes). Also available is the dataset of cup chemistry.

To measure mortality in culture cups, we sampled larvae prior to water changes every two-three days of the experiment (Mon/Wed/Fri). Samplers condensed larval cups into small bowls, mixed larvae inside to suspend dead and alive larvae, and took 0.5-1ml aliquots on Sedgewick rafter counting cells. Our aim was to capture at least 20 live larvae in each sample. If fewer than 20 live larvae were sampled, the counter would take another aliquot and add numbers. If more, all larvae in aliquot we’re counted. Live and dead larvae were counted, and the live ones were collected for later size measurement (see growth experiment datasheet). The developmental stage was noted by the visual presence of eyespots on larval shells (though these were recounted in size samples later to improve consistency, so eye counts from this data sheet were not used), and presence of settled larvae on culture cup surfaces.

BCO-DMO Processing Notes:
- added conventional header with dataset name, PI name, version date
- modified parameter names to conform with BCO-DMO naming conventions
- re-formatted date from mdyy to yyyy-mm-dd

In the face of climate change, future distribution of animals will depend not only on whether they adjust to new conditions in their current habitat, but also on whether a species can spread to suitable locations in a changing habitat landscape. In the ocean, where most species have tiny drifting larval stages, dispersal between habitats is impacted by more than just ocean currents alone; the swimming behavior of larvae, the flow environment the larvae encounter, and the length of time the larvae spend in the water column all interact to impact the distance and direction of larval dispersal. The effects of climate change, especially ocean acidification, are already evident in shellfish species along the Pacific coast, where hatchery managers have noticed shellfish cultures with 'lazy larvae syndrome.' Under conditions of increased acidification, these 'lazy larvae' simply stop swimming; yet, larval swimming behavior is rarely incorporated into studies of ocean acidification. Furthermore, how ocean warming interacts with the effects of acidification on larvae and their swimming behaviors remains unexplored; indeed, warming could reverse 'lazy larvae syndrome.' This project uses a combination of manipulative laboratory experiments, computer modeling, and a real case study to examine whether the impacts of ocean warming and acidification on individual larvae may affect the distribution and restoration of populations of native oysters in the Salish Sea. The project will tightly couple research with undergraduate education at Western Washington University, a primarily undergraduate university, by employing student researchers, incorporating materials into undergraduate courses, and pairing marine science student interns with art student interns to develop art projects aimed at communicating the effects of climate change to public audiences

As studies of the effects of climate stress in the marine environment progress, impacts on individual-level performance must be placed in a larger ecological context. While future climate-induced circulation changes certainly will affect larval dispersal, the effects of climate-change stressors on individual larval traits alone may have equally important impacts, significantly altering larval transport and, ultimately, species distribution. This study will experimentally examine the relationship between combined climate stressors (warming and acidification) on planktonic larval duration, morphology, and swimming behavior; create models to generate testable hypotheses about the effects of these factors on larval dispersal that can be applied across systems; and, finally, use a bio-physically coupled larval transport model to examine whether climate-impacted larvae may affect the distribution and restoration of populations of native oysters in the Salish Sea.