Skeletal magnesium content in Antarctic echinoderms along a latitudinal gradient

9 pages, 5 figures, 1 table, supplementary data https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2024.106771.-- Data availability: The data have been included in the supplemental material Table S7

Ocean warming and acidification driven by anthropogenic CO2 emissions may impact the mineral composition of marine calcifiers. Species with high skeletal Mg content could be more susceptible in polar regions due to the increased solubility of CO2 at lower temperatures. We aimed to assess the environmental influence on skeletal Mg content of Antarctic echinoderms belonging to Asteroidea, Ophiuroidea, Echinoidea and Holothuroidea classes, along a latitudinal gradient from the South Shetland Islands to Rothera (Adelaide Island). We found that all skeletal structures, except for echinoid spines, exhibited high Mg content, with asteroids showing the highest levels. Our results suggest that asteroids and holothuroids exert a higher biological capacity to regulate Mg incorporation into their skeletons. In contrast, the variability observed in the skeletal Mg content of ophiuroids and echinoids appears to be more influenced by local environmental conditions. Species-specific differences in how environmental factors affect the skeletal Mg content can thus be expected as a response to global climate change

This study was supported by the projects ACTIQUIM (CGL2007-65453/ANT), CHALLENGE (PID2019-107979RB-I00), and CHALLENGE-2 (PID2022-141628NB-I00) led by CA. TA-G was financed by a Severo Ochoa FPI predoctoral grant (PRE2020-096185) of the Spanish government through the “Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence” Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM-CSIC) of Barcelona (CEX2019-000928-S) and has used infrastructure and received support from the University of Barcelona (BEECA dept.). BF has received funding by a Ramon y Cajal grant (RYC2022-036268-I) funded by MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and FSE+, and from the MedCalRes project (PID2021-125323OA-I00) funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by ‘ERDF A way of making Europe’. BF is part of the Marine Conservation research group funded by Generalitat de Catalunya (2021 SGR 01073). CA is part of the Marine Biodiversity and Evolution research group funded by Generalitat de Catalunya (2021 SGR 01271)

Peer reviewed