Sea urchins exposed to diluted seawater for long periods show signs of physical deterioration, according to scientists from British Antarctic Survey, the University of Cambridge and the Scottish Association for Marine Science.
Sea urchins exposed to diluted seawater for long periods show signs of physical deterioration, according to scientists from British Antarctic Survey, the University of Cambridge and the Scottish Association for Marine Science. Their study also found that even slight changes in salinity – or saltiness – trigger changes to urchin behaviour as they try to cope with their new conditions.
Urchins are slow moving bottom feeders, making them especially vulnerable to rapid changes to their habitat. In the UK, climate change is predicted to ‘freshen’ many coastal areas, so the research underscores the potential impact of climate-induced rainfall changes on these marine animals and their broader ecosystems.
As our climate warms, Britain’s weather is becoming more extreme; in Scotland precipitation has increased by 20% since the 1960s. Salinity is one of the critical environmental factors that affect the biology of marine organisms, with increased rainfall and glacial melting reducing the salinity of coastal waters.
Read more at: British Antarctic Survey
Sea urchins exposed to diluted seawater for long periods show signs of physical deterioration. (Photo Credit: Nick Barrett, BAS)
