Climate change impacts on fish presentation given to the UMass Board of Trustees. Contains topical information on climate change impacts on reef fishes and preliminary data.

1. Climate change impacts on fish
Eric Wilcox Freeburg, Doctoral Candidate
Department of Environmental, Earth and Ocean Sciences
NSF-CRI-OA-1220480
PI: Dr. Robyn Hannigan
Eric Wilcox Freeburg | eric.freeburg001@umb.edu February 26, 2013

2. The issue: ocean acidification
▸ CO2 increase in the atmosphere leads to lower ocean pH
▸ Low pH is caustic to many minerals
▸ Ocean acidification appears to impacting corals and shelled
organisms, but what about soft bodied organisms like fish?
Hall-Spencer et al. 2008. Volcanic carbon dioxide
vents show ecosystem effects of ocean
acidification. Nature, 454(7200), 96-99
Eric Wilcox Freeburg | eric.freeburg001@umb.edu February 26, 2013

3. Why is OA important to fish?
A. Whitfield, T.T., Riley, B.B., Chiang, M.-Y., and Phillips, B.,
2002, Development of the zebrafish inner ear: Developmental
Dynamics, v. 223, p. 427-458.
B. Fekete, D.M., 2003, Developmental biology. Rocks that roll
zebrafish: Science, v. 302, p. 241-2.
Eric Wilcox Freeburg | eric.freeburg001@umb.edu February 26, 2013

4. NASA papers
Gravitational force affects
otolith development and
function
Anken et al. 1998
Eric Wilcox Freeburg | eric.freeburg001@umb.edu February 26, 2013

5. Checkley et al. 2009. Elevated CO2 enhances
otolith growth in young fish. Science, 324(5935),
1683.
Eric Wilcox Freeburg | eric.freeburg001@umb.edu February 26, 2013

6. Ocean Acidification Apparatus
▸ 20 Individually controlled and replicated tanks
▸ Precise control (within ±0.01 pH units)
▸ Hobbyist base system, so inexpensive
▸ Methodology paper in preparation
Eric Wilcox Freeburg | eric.freeburg001@umb.edu February 26, 2013

7. Fish Dissections
200 µm
1 mm
Eric Wilcox Freeburg | eric.freeburg001@umb.edu February 26, 2013

8. Comparisons..
Zebrafish Nemo
Eric Wilcox Freeburg | eric.freeburg001@umb.edu February 26, 2013

9. Texture analysis
▸ Hypothesis – tissue interaction with bones
▸ Titanium replacement bones – roughness
characteristics key to new tissue growth
▸ Is the otolith roughness changed under OA?
Does that impact nerve-bone interactions?
Eric Wilcox Freeburg | eric.freeburg001@umb.edu February 26, 2013

10. Control (8.0)
Low (7.3)
Eric Wilcox Freeburg | eric.freeburg001@umb.edu February 26, 2013

11. Texture analysis tools
Eric Wilcox Freeburg | eric.freeburg001@umb.edu February 26, 2013

12. Thank you!
▸ National Science Foundation
▸ Dr. Robyn Hannigan, EEOS, UMB
▸ Dr. William Robinson, EEOS, UMB
▸ Dr. Andrew Rhyne, Roger Williams University
▸ Dr. Michael Tlusty, New England Aquarium
Eric Wilcox Freeburg | eric.freeburg001@umb.edu February 26, 2013