Date of Project
4-22-2022
Document Type
Honors Thesis
School Name
College of Arts and Sciences
Department
Environmental Science
Major Advisor
Dr. Roberta Challener
Second Advisor
Dr. Kate Bulinski
Third Advisor
Dr. Steven Wilt
Abstract
Most sea urchin species have critical ecological roles in their ecosystems, such as keystone grazers. There is an increasing need to understand the impacts of rising temperatures on species that are vital to the health of their environments. Studies have shown that increasing temperatures may significantly negatively affect several important biological processes including reproduction, development, and excretion in many species including sea urchins. However, very little is known about the sea urchin species Arbacia punctulata. In this study, individuals were exposed to 21˚C (control, n = 12) and 27˚C (experimental, n = 12) for seven days, and survivorship was assessed. On average the control treatment survived 5.5 days while the experimental treatment survived 1.4 days. Results suggest that A. punctulata exposed to increased temperatures over an extended period will be significantly compromised.
Recommended Citation
Clemons, Rhianna, "The Effects of Increasing Ocean Temperatures on the Survivorship of a Subtropical Population of the Sea Urchin Arbacia punctulata" (2022). Undergraduate Theses. 83.
https://scholarworks.bellarmine.edu/ugrad_theses/83