TITLE:
Behavioural Responses of Crangon crangon (Crustacea, Decapoda) to Reduced Seawater pH Following Simulated Leakage from Sub-Sea Geological Storage
AUTHORS:
Gerhardt Almut, Shaw Bamber
KEYWORDS:
Behaviour; Avoidance; Shrimp; pH; CO2 Injection; CCS; Acidification
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Environmental Protection,
Vol.4 No.7A,
July
17,
2013
ABSTRACT:
Carbon capture and storage
(CCS) in sub-sea geological formations is being developed and promoted to
mitigate CO2 discharges to the atmosphere from point sources such as
power stations. There remain some questions on the risks associated with the
possible loss of gas from storage and the environmental harm this could pose to
marine organisms associated with the sea bed in these regions. This study
investigated the effect of exposing the common shrimp (Crangon crangon) to reduced pH conditions and presents the results
of stepwise pH-reductions (0.2 pH units from pH 7 down to pH 6). Behaviour was
monitored continuously throughout 8 hours of exposure. In three subsequent
experiments we could show a consistent and repeatable behavioural response
pattern consisting of immediate avoidance reactions expressed as “shooting
behaviour” following each pH-reduction every hour. The animals responded in a
rapid manner to the shifts at all pH values, suggesting that these animals are
sensitive to even relatively small changes. The results indicate that repeated
acute pH-stress caused by CO2-leakage from carbon storage sites
might affect the behaviour and subsequent fitness of natural populations of
common shrimps. Changes in behaviour are likely to lead to increased predation
on these animals and migration away from affected areas.