Marine environmental researchFeb 25, 2023

Ocean acidification and warming differently affect predator and prey biology, which may change future food chain interactions

Circadian Biology Weekly Brief ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Updated Apr 2, 2026

Abstract

Ocean warming and acidification negatively affect the growth and metabolic rate of blue mussels, with increased predation risk observed.

Ocean warming and acidification may lead to reduced growth and feeding rates in blue mussels.
Blue mussels also experience heightened predation risk under future ocean conditions.
The predator species, Nucella lapillus, shows increased feeding and unaffected growth under ocean warming and acidification.
Differential responses between blue mussels and their predator could disrupt trophic interactions in marine ecosystems.

Simplified

Independently, ocean warming (OW) and acidification (OA) from increased anthropogenic atmospheric carbon dioxide are argued to be two of the greatest threats to marine organisms. Increasingly, their interaction (ocean acidification and warming, OAW) is shown to have wide-ranging consequences to biological functioning, population and community structure, species interactions and ecosystem service provision. Here, using a multi-trophic experiment, we tested the effects of future OAW scenarios on two widespread intertidal species, the blue mussel Mytilus edulis and its predator Nucella lapillus. Results indicate negative consequences of OAW on the growth, feeding and metabolic rate of M. edulis and heightened predation risk. In contrast, Nucella growth and metabolism was unaffected and feeding increased under OAW but declined under OW suggesting OA may offset warming consequences. Should this differential response between the two species to OAW, and specifically greater physiological costs to the prey than its predator come to fruition in the nature, fundamental change in ecosystem structure and functioning could be expected as trophic interactions become disrupted.

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Ocean acidification and warming differently affect predator and prey biology, which may change future food chain interactions

Abstract

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