Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Variation In Righting Times Of Holothuria Atra, Stichopus Chloronotus, And Holothuria Edulis In Response To Increased Seawater Temperatures On Heron Reef In The Southern Gbr, Elizabeth Buccheri, Matthias W. Foellmer, Beth A. Christensen, Paul Langi, Stefani Ritter, Esther Wolf, Aaren S. Freeman

School of Earth & Environment Faculty Scholarship

Sea cucumbers can mitigate some impacts of climate change through digestion of benthic sands and production of calcium carbonate. The projected ecological benefits of sea cucumbers in warmer, more acidic oceans are contingent on the capacities of individuals to acclimate and populations to adapt to climatic changes. The goal of this experiment was to evaluate the degree to which warming waters would impact three abundant species of sea cucumbers on the Heron Reef in Queensland, Australia. We conducted a behavioral assay using three species of sea cucumbers, Holothuria atra, Stichopus chloronotus, and Holothuria edulis. Individuals from each species were subjected …