Ocean acidification and gills histomorphology of the red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus)

• Grant number: 13/12950-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: September 01, 2013
• End date: November 30, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Animal Production
• Principal Investigator: Raul Machado Neto
• Grantee: Wiolene Montanari Nordi
• Supervisor: Andrew Esbaugh
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Texas at Austin (UT), United States
• Associated to the scholarship: 11/12534-4 - Influence of the IGF-I present in lyophilized bovine colostrum on the intestinal epithelium features of pacu and dourado juvenilis, BP.DR

Abstract

Oceanic carbon dioxide levels (CO2), currently with values between 280-380 µatm, have increased since pre-industrial levels and could reach 1900 µatm by the year 2300. The adaptation of fish to the high levels of ocean CO2 may involve morphological changes of the gills thus altering permeability to CO2. Based on this, the objective of this study will be analyzing the CO2 concentration on the gills morphology of the red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus). The training period will be carried out at the Institute of Marine Science University of Texas at Austin, USA, supervised by PhD. Andrew Esbaugh, leader of one important group of study and research on the subject cited, subject of training. The fish will be housed in aquariums and subjected to exposure to 1000 µatm CO2. CO2 concentrations, pH, alkalinity in aquariums will be checked weekly. In addition to the experimental treatments, is carried out a control, conducted before exposure to CO2 exposure. On 1, 3, 7, 14 and 21 days after exposure to 1000 µatm CO2, seven fish will be killed and three gill arches excised for histomorphological analysis. Ten random images will be captured for each fish and data of morphometric indicators (thickness of the gill arches and diffusion distance estimated) will be performed using a Image J software. The data will be submitted to analysis of variance and differences between means analyzed using the Tukey method. For all analysis will be 5% probability (P <0.05). (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

WATSON, CAROLINE J.; NORDI, WIOLENE M.; ESBAUGH, ANDREW J.. Osmoregulation and branchial plasticity after acute freshwater transfer in red drum, Sciaenops ocellatus. COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY A-MOLECULAR & INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY, v. 178, p. 82-89, DEC 2014. (13/12950-3)