trustees meeting 2013

Eric Wilcox Freeburg | eric.freeburg001@umb.edu February 26, 2013

Climate change impacts on fishEric Wilcox Freeburg, Doctoral CandidateDepartment of Environmental, Earth and Ocean Sciences

NSF-CRI-OA-1220480PI: Dr. Robyn Hannigan

Eric Wilcox Freeburg | eric.freeburg001@umb.edu February 26, 2013

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

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

NASA papers

Anken et al. 1998

Gravitational force affectsotolith development and function

Eric Wilcox Freeburg | eric.freeburg001@umb.edu February 26, 2013

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

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

200 µm

Fish Dissections

1 mm

Eric Wilcox Freeburg | eric.freeburg001@umb.edu February 26, 2013

Comparisons..

NemoZebrafish

Eric Wilcox Freeburg | eric.freeburg001@umb.edu February 26, 2013

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

Control (8.0)

Low (7.3)

Eric Wilcox Freeburg | eric.freeburg001@umb.edu February 26, 2013

Texture analysis tools

Eric Wilcox Freeburg | eric.freeburg001@umb.edu February 26, 2013

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