Smith KE et al. (2019), Sea urchin reproductive performance in a changi...

ECB-ART-47335

Proc Biol Sci 2019 Jul 24;2861907:20190785. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2019.0785.

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Sea urchin reproductive performance in a changing ocean: poor males improve while good males worsen in response to ocean acidification.

Smith KE , Byrne M , Deaker D , Hird CM , Nielson C , Wilson-McNeal A , Lewis C .

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Ocean acidification (OA) is predicted to be a major driver of ocean biodiversity change. At projected rates of change, sensitive marine taxa may not have time to adapt. Their persistence may depend on pre-existing inter-individual variability. We investigated individual male reproductive performance under present-day and OA conditions using two representative broadcast spawners, the sea urchins Lytechinus pictus and Heliocidaris erythrogramma. Under the non-competitive individual ejaculate scenario, we examined sperm functional parameters (e.g. swimming speed, motility) and their relationship with fertilization success under current and near-future OA conditions. Significant inter-individual differences in almost every parameter measured were identified. Importantly, we observed strong inverse relationships between individual fertilization success rate under current conditions and change in fertilization success under OA. Individuals with a high fertilization success under current conditions had reduced fertilization under OA, while individuals with a low fertilization success under current conditions improved. Change in fertilization success ranged from -67% to +114% across individuals. Our results demonstrate that while average population fertilization rates remain similar under OA and present-day conditions, the contribution by different males to the population significantly shifts, with implications for how selection will operate in a future ocean.

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Genes referenced: LOC100887844 LOC100893604

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References [+] :

Ausió, Evolution of vertebrate chromosomal sperm proteins: implications for fertility and sperm competition. 2007, Pubmed

	Figure 1. (a–g) Ejaculate traits and (h) fertilization success in Lytechinus pictus and Heliocidaris erythrogramma. Different letters above each trio of bars indicate a significant difference between treatments (p ≤ 0.05). (Online version in colour.)
	Figure 2. Ejaculate traits of Lytechinus pictus and Heliocidaris erythrogramma. (a,b) Sperm curvilinear velocity under current conditions; (c,d) difference in curvilinear velocity between current and OA conditions; (e,f) sperm motility under current conditions; (g,h) difference in motility between current and OA conditions. Different letters below each plot indicate ejaculate from individual males. (Online version in colour.)
	Figure 3. Fertilization success under different experimental conditions. (a,b) Fertilization success under current conditions, (c,d) difference in fertilization success between current and acidified conditions and (e,f) relationship between current fertilization and difference in fertilization under acidified conditions in Lytechinus pictus and Heliocidaris erythrogramma. Different letters below plots (a–d) indicate individual males. (Online version in colour.)
	Figure 4. Relationship between fertilization success and key sperm parameters. (a,b) Fertilization success and curvilinear velocity, and (c,d) fertilization success and motility in Lytechinus pictus and Heliocidaris erythrogramma. (Online version in colour.)