Comparison of the Barnacle, Balanus amphitrite, in Different Environments

<p>The Salton Sea is a saline lake located centrally in the Colorado Desert, California. Salinity as well as nutrients of the Sea have been increasing since 1907, thus it is currently facing ecological collapse. The barnacle, <em>Balanus amphitrite saltonensis</em> at the Salton Sea was once thought to be a subspecies of <em>B. amphitrite</em> due to distinctive morphological differences between populations at the Sea and San Diego Bay. However, only one subspecies, <em>Balanus amphitrite amphitrite</em>, currently exists based on genetic studies. My study investigates physiological, survival, and morphological differences of <em>B. amphitrite</em> populations from the Salton Sea and San Diego Bay.</p> <p>Weight-specific oxygen consumption rate was measured for 3 hours to compare respiratory responses of both populations at 18 experimental combinations of salinity (0, 15, 30, 36, 45, and 60 %o) and temperature (15, 25, and 35 °C). Although no overall significant difference in respiration occurred, significant differences between populations were found in 45 %o at 15 °C and in 0 %o at 35 °C. Salton Sea barnacles consumed more oxygen in higher salinities and at higher temperatures than San Diego Bay barnacles.</p> <p>Results of survival experiments (T₅₀) in the same 18 conditions for 48 hours • indicated that no animals died at 15 ° and 25 °C while animals tested in low salinities (0 and 15 %o) at 35 °C for both populations resulted in mortality of greater than 50 % of the treatment populations within 48 hours. Mortality rate showed that Salton Sea barnacles survived longer than San Diego Bay barnacles in low salinities at high temperature and that temperature had a greater influence on survival than salinity.</p> <p>Morphological differences were examined by measuring animal diameter, height, and test thickness for both populations. Statistical analyses indicated that there were significant differences in those measurements between populations. Possibly as a result of phenotypic plasticity induced by different environmental conditions, external morphology is distinct between the populations.</p> <p>Although <em>B. amphitrite</em> at the Salton Sea and San Diego Bay are the same species, Salton Sea barnacles may be adapted to tolerate the elevated conditions of salinity and temperature that occur in that environment.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science (MS)

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Biology

Year

2006

Author dc:creator

• Mastuda, Katsura

Contributors dc:contributor

• Stephen G. Dunbar
• Paul H. Buchheim
• David A. Hessinger

• Biology
• Marine Biology
• Barnacle -- Physiology; Barnacle -- Morphology; Marine ecology; Barnacles -- California -- Salton Sea; Barnacles -- California -- San Diego Bay; Salinity -- California -- Salton Sea.

Statement dc:rights

• This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights.

Language dc:language

English

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/713

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarsrepository.llu.edu:etd-1788