Special Issue "The Impact of the Changing Environment on the Physiology of Aquatic Organisms"

A special issue of Fishes (ISSN 2410-3888). This special issue belongs to the section "Environment and Climate Change".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 August 2023 | Viewed by 2232

Special Issue Editors

Laboratoire de Biologie des Organismes et des Ecosystèmes Aquatiques (BOREA), Equipe EVOREG, MNHN, CNRS 8067, Sorbonne Université, IRD 207, UCN, UA, CEDEX 05, 75231 Paris, France
Interests: fish; pineal gland; retina; photoreceptors; photoperiod; temperature; thermo-receptors; biological rhythms; neuroendocrine regulations; melatonin; artificial-light-at-night (ALAN); global warming
Unit of Functional Physiology of Marine Organisms, Ifremer, LEMAR, Technopole Iroise, ZI de la Pointe du Diable, 29280 Plouzané, France
Interests: fish physiology; ecotoxicology; neuroendocrine and endocrine regulation; reproduction; stress; development; environmental factors; global change; chemical pollution

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

For millions of years, fishes, like all living organisms, have adapted to their environment, which, globally speaking, has remained rather stable, at least since the last mass extinction 66 million years ago. However, in less than a century, human pressures have modified this environment so dramatically that living organisms have not had enough time to adapt to the new imposed conditions, and the occurrence of a sixth mass extinction has been predicted. Indeed, the increasing human populatuion has induced a growing need for food and an increasing reorganization of spaces, whatever the medium concerned, be it aquatic or terrestrial. The results of this include a dramactic ongoing reduction in and fragmentation of wild spaces, together with an increase in physical barriers and physical and chemical pollutants (light-at-night, noise, nanoparticles, heavy metals, electromagnetic fields, hydrocarbons, endocrine disruptors (PCBs, herbicides, pesticides, synthetic steroids) and more). Moreover, these same human activities are inducing dramatic climatic changes, with all of the associated threats. Thus, aquatic organisms are also facing increases in temperature (dramatic in freshwater environments) and the increased acidification and salinity of oceans, together with changes in sea currents, oxygen concentrations, eutrophication and blooms of algae and microorganisms, as well as the invasion of migratory species (which adds to those already introduced by human activities). This conjunction of threats places organisms, communities and ecosystems in danger. The current Special Topic aims at collecting original and review papers which investigate how one or more of these threats are affecting, individually or collectively, the metabolism and physiology of marine and freshwater species.

Dr. Jack Falcón
Dr. Arianna Servili
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • global changes
  • freshwater
  • seawater
  • metabolism
  • physiology

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

Article
Common Sea Star (Asterias rubens) Coelomic Fluid Changes in Response to Short-Term Exposure to Environmental Stressors
Fishes 2023, 8(1), 51; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes8010051 - 12 Jan 2023
Viewed by 681
Abstract
Common sea stars (Asterias rubens) are at risk of physiological stress and decline with projected shifts in oceanic conditions. This study assessed changes in coelomic fluid (CF) blood gases, electrolytes, osmolality, and coelomocyte counts in adult common sea stars after exposure [...] Read more.
Common sea stars (Asterias rubens) are at risk of physiological stress and decline with projected shifts in oceanic conditions. This study assessed changes in coelomic fluid (CF) blood gases, electrolytes, osmolality, and coelomocyte counts in adult common sea stars after exposure to stressors mimicking effects from climate change for 14 days, including decreased pH (−0.4 units, mean: 7.37), hypoxia (target dissolved oxygen ~1.75 mg O2/L, mean: 1.80 mg O2/L), or increased temperature (+10 °C, mean: 17.2 °C) and compared sea star CF electrolytes and osmolality to tank water. Changes in CF blood gases, electrolytes, and/or coelomocyte counts occurred in all treatment groups after stressor exposures, indicating adverse systemic effects with evidence of increased energy expenditure, respiratory or metabolic derangements, and immunosuppression or inflammation. At baseline, CF potassium and osmolality of all groups combined were significantly higher than tank water, and, after exposures, CF potassium was significantly higher in the hypoxia group as compared to tank water. These findings indicate physiological challenges for A. rubens after stressor exposures and, given increased observations of sea star wasting events globally, this provides evidence that sea stars as a broad group are particularly vulnerable to changing oceans. Full article
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Article
The Responses of the Ovary and Eyestalk in Exopalaemon carinicauda under Low Salinity Stress
Fishes 2022, 7(6), 365; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes7060365 - 30 Nov 2022
Viewed by 812
Abstract
As a euryhaline shrimp, the ridgetail white prawn Exopalaemon carinicauda is strongly adaptable to salinity. Exploring the effect of long-term low salinity stress on ovarian development in E. carinicauda is essential to promote its culture in a non-marine environment. In this study, we [...] Read more.
As a euryhaline shrimp, the ridgetail white prawn Exopalaemon carinicauda is strongly adaptable to salinity. Exploring the effect of long-term low salinity stress on ovarian development in E. carinicauda is essential to promote its culture in a non-marine environment. In this study, we performed biochemical assays and ovary histology analysis, finding that the E. carinicauda can adapt to low salinity stress through osmotic adjustment, and there was no substantial damage to the ovary of E. carinicauda under low salinity stress. Then, the ovarian development of E. carinicauda under low salt stress was further explored by RNA sequencing of eyestalk and ovarian tissues. A total of 389 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in ovary tissue were identified under low salinity stress, and the 16 important DEGs were associated with ovarian development. The majority of the DEGs were enriched in ECM-receptor interaction, folate biosynthesis, arginine biosynthesis, insect hormone biosynthesis and lysosome which were involved in the ovarian development of E. carinicauda. A total of 1223 DEGs were identified in eyestalk tissue under low salinity stress, and the 18 important DEGs were associated with ovarian development. KEGG enrichment analysis found that ECM-receptor interaction, folate biosynthesis, lysosome, arginine biosynthesis and retinol metabolism may be involved in the ovarian development under low salinity stress. Our results provided new insights and revealed new genes and pathways involved in ovarian development of E. carinicauda under long-term low salinity stress. Full article
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Article
Effects of Short-Term Salinity Stress on Ions, Free Amino Acids, Na+/K+-ATPase Activity, and Gill Histology in the Threatened Freshwater Shellfish Solenaia oleivora
Fishes 2022, 7(6), 346; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes7060346 - 25 Nov 2022
Viewed by 449
Abstract
Salinity is an important ecological factor affecting the osmolality of aquatic animals. Solenaia oleivora is an endemic and economically important freshwater shellfish in China. However, its osmotic response and osmoregulatory mechanisms under high salinity stress are still unclear. In this study, S. oleivora [...] Read more.
Salinity is an important ecological factor affecting the osmolality of aquatic animals. Solenaia oleivora is an endemic and economically important freshwater shellfish in China. However, its osmotic response and osmoregulatory mechanisms under high salinity stress are still unclear. In this study, S. oleivora was exposed to saline water (salinity: 2.2‰) for 3 h, 6 h, 12 h, 24 h, and 48 h, and then the changes in osmolality, ion concentrations, free amino acid (FAA) content, Na+/K+-ATPase (NKA) activity, and gill histology were analyzed. The hemolymph osmolality increased from 3 h after salinity stress and stabilized between 24–48 h. Na+ in the hemolymph increased from 24 h after salinity stress, and Cl increased from 3 h. The content of total FAAs in the hemolymph increased after salinity stress. The content of alanine, glycine, glutamine, proline, and other FAAs increased after salinity stress. NKA activity in the gill, hepatopancreases, adductor muscle, and axe foot decreased during 3–48 h of salinity stress. The gill filament space increased and the number of gill cilia decreased after salinity stress. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that the first two principal components (PC1 and PC2) cumulatively explained 77.6% of the total variation. The NKA activity was positively associated with PC1, while the ion concentration and most FAAs were negatively associated with PC1. Thus, these results indicated that S. oleivora is an osmoconformer, and inorganic ions, FAA, NKA, and gill structure changes play an important role in its osmoregulation. Full article
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