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Pteropods<\/h1>\n[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”5px|||||” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”3_4,1_4″ make_equal=”on” admin_label=”PAGE TITLE ROW” _builder_version=”4.17.1″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”|auto|0px|auto|false|false” custom_padding=”||0px||false|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”3_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text disabled_on=”off|off|off” admin_label=”H1 Page Title – Pteropods” module_class=”page-title” _builder_version=”4.17.3″ _module_preset=”default” header_text_color=”#4d4d4d” header_line_height=”1.1em” custom_margin=”||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”||0px||false|false” header_font_size_tablet=”” header_font_size_phone=”” header_font_size_last_edited=”on|desktop” text_orientation_tablet=”center” text_orientation_phone=”center” text_orientation_last_edited=”on|phone” custom_css_main_element=”display: flex;||flex-direction: column;||justify-content: flex-end;” border_color_bottom=”#4d4d4d” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
Pteropods<\/h1>\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”4.17.1″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”||0px||false|false” custom_css_main_element=”display: flex;||flex-direction: column;||justify-content: flex-end;” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_menu menu_id=”13″ menu_style=”centered” admin_label=”Menu – Species Response” _builder_version=”4.17.1″ _module_preset=”default” menu_font=”|||on|||||” menu_font_size=”16px” module_alignment=”center” custom_margin=”||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”||0px||false|false” custom_css_main_element=”display: flex;||flex-direction: column;||justify-content: flex-end;” border_color_bottom=”#000000″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_menu][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.17.1″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”0px||||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.17.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_divider color=”#4d4d4d” _builder_version=”4.17.0″ _module_preset=”default” min_height=”20.8px” custom_margin=”||-1px|||” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/aoan.aoos.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/healthy-pteropod-NOAA.jpg” title_text=”Healthy pteropod. Photo by NOAA” _builder_version=”4.17.3″ _module_preset=”default” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text disabled_on=”off|off|off” admin_label=”Caption – Pteropods (Sea butterflies) are calcifying zooplankton that are plentiful in Alaska\u2019s oceans and represent an essential food source for pink salmon. Photo by NOAA.” module_class=”image-caption” _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”||||||||” text_font_size=”13px” text_line_height=”1.5em” hover_enabled=”0″ border_width_bottom=”1px” border_color_bottom=”#4d4d4d” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n
Pteropods (Sea butterflies) are calcifying zooplankton that are plentiful in Alaska\u2019s oceans and represent an essential food source for pink salmon. Photo by NOAA.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_3,1_3″ _builder_version=”4.17.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”3px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”4.17.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text – What We Know ” _builder_version=”4.17.3″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Pteropods are at risk to ocean acidification because their thin shells are sensitive to changes in ocean chemistry. In more corrosive water, pteropods can have trouble growing their shells because there are fewer carbonate \u201cbuilding blocks\u201d in the seawater. In extreme cases their shells can dissolve. Additionally, pteropods have physiological and neurological sensitivity to more acidic water. When you combine ocean acidification with warming ocean temperatures, the sensitive pteropod becomes even more vulnerable.<\/p>\n There is current evidence that corrosive conditions are already harming pteropods in the Gulf of Alaska and in the Bering Sea. Researchers have documented extensive shell dissolution in juvenile pteropods exposed to corrosive seawater for prolonged periods of time.<\/p>\n We are still learning about overall pteropod sensitivity and their ability to adapt. Research from the California coast shows pteropods exposed to their threshold of biogeochemical conditions near and below \u03a9arag of 1 (see below) produced thinner shells. This could be an adaptive strategy allowing them to sustain growth by spending less energy on calcification. However, we don\u2019t know if this short-term adaptation could be a long-term strategy in rapidly acidifying waters. Because smaller shells have lower reproductive power, we may expect population declines due to reduced spawning over time.<\/p>\n Modeling work in the Gulf of Alaska shows that favorable habitat for pteropods is on the decline. Their main habitat in the Gulf is already experiencing seasonal corrosive conditions, with more concentrated corrosivity occurring in the central and western part of the Gulf in winter. Increasing ocean acidification is exacerbated due to continued human emissions of fossil fuels and increased climatic variability. From 1980 to 2013, the area of corrosive water that creates harmful conditions for pteropods more than doubled.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text Box – Aragonite Saturation” _builder_version=”4.17.3″ _module_preset=”default” header_2_font_size=”20px” background_color=”#e6e6e6″ custom_margin=”||||false|false” custom_padding=”20px|24px|20px|24px|true|true” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n An important metric when assessing ocean acidification conditions is aragonite saturation<\/strong><\/em>. The aragonite saturation state (\u03a9arag) describes the amount of free calcium carbonate in the water column and can decrease when additional CO2 is absorbed into the water. Many marine organisms use calcium carbonate to build their shells. In acidified conditions, less calcium carbonate is available for shell building, and the saturation state goes down. As \u03a9arag decreases, the shell building ability of animals decreases. An \u03a9arag level of 1.0 is generally understood to be the tipping point: above 1.0, shell building can continue; below 1.0, shelled organisms have trouble developing shells, or existing shells may dissolve. While species thresholds may vary depending on their natural range of variability, \u03a9arag can still be a helpful indicator of the favorability of water for building shells.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.17.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text Box – Meet the Pteropods” _builder_version=”4.17.3″ _module_preset=”default” header_2_font_size=”20px” background_color=”#e6e6e6″ custom_margin=”||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”20px|24px|20px|24px|true|true” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Pteropods are planktonic marine snails (gastropods) with a foot that has been modified into a pair of wings used to swim through the ocean. In fact, their name comes from the Greek word meaning \u201cwing-foot\u201d. Pteropods that have the characteristic sea snail shell are often called \u201csea butterflies\u201d and they are found in every major ocean in the world.<\/p>\n Pteropods are pelagic which means they live in the upper layers of the open ocean, usually between 0-200 meters below the ocean\u2019s surface, regardless of the latitude. Their typically small size of less than 1cm long qualifies them as plankton and they are a crucial contributor to Arctic food webs. Pteropods make up 60% of a pink salmon\u2019s diet in the ocean and they are a favorite food of herring, mackerel, tuna, walleye pollock, squids, large shrimp, and whales.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text – Photo Gallery” _builder_version=”4.17.3″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#233f6f” text_font_size=”18px” header_2_font_size=”20px” header_4_line_height=”0em” background_color=”#e6e6e6″ custom_margin=”||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”2%||||false|true” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text – Click to enlarge” _builder_version=”4.17.3″ _module_preset=”default” header_2_font_size=”20px” background_color=”#e6e6e6″ custom_margin=”0px||0px||true|false” custom_padding=”||1%||false|true” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n ↓Click to enlarge↓<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_code disabled_on=”on|on|on” admin_label=”Code – Remove Hover Text From All Images” _builder_version=”4.17.3″ _module_preset=”default” disabled=”on” global_colors_info=”{}”]What We Know<\/h2>\n
Aragonite Saturation<\/h4>\n
Meet the Pteropods<\/h4>\n
Photo Gallery<\/strong><\/h4>\n