Climate Change’s Potential Effects on the Embryonic Development of Leuresthes tenuis
Presentation Type
Poster
Department
Biology
Major
B.A. in Biology
Abstract
Due to climate change and the earth’s atmosphere becoming warmer, more organisms are being affected at varying stages of their life history. Leuresthes tenuis is a beach spawning teleost that is endemic to the Pacific Coast of North America from Point Conception, CA to Punta Abreojos, Mexico. L. tenuis may be uniquely affected by climate change due to their unusual embryonic development occurring in a terrestrial environment rather than a marine one. To examine the effects of embryonic development of L. tenuis under temperature stress, I examined the effects of exposure to high temperatures for only a portion of the day coupled with a rest period of a lower temperature overnight with a mean temperature of ~23°C. Little has been done to compare the incubation of L. tenuis in water versus air, so I also describe the developmental differences observed between eggs incubated in sand versus seawater. Eggs were incubated in either sand or water in three temperature conditions of constant 20°C, alternating 30°C for eight hours and 20°C for sixteen hours, and constant 30°C. The eggs were examined under a microscope daily, hatching success testing began at 10 days post fertilization and hatchling length was measured. The eggs incubated in water showed more frequent deformities, slower embryonic development, lower hatching success, and shorter hatchling length than those incubated in sand across all temperature treatments. Future studies should focus on the factors behind what causes the developmental deficiencies in eggs incubated in water.
Faculty Mentor
Dr. Karen Martin
Funding Source or Research Program
Summer Undergraduate Research Program
Location
Waves Cafeteria
Start Date
24-3-2017 2:00 PM
End Date
24-3-2017 3:00 PM
Climate Change’s Potential Effects on the Embryonic Development of Leuresthes tenuis
Waves Cafeteria
Due to climate change and the earth’s atmosphere becoming warmer, more organisms are being affected at varying stages of their life history. Leuresthes tenuis is a beach spawning teleost that is endemic to the Pacific Coast of North America from Point Conception, CA to Punta Abreojos, Mexico. L. tenuis may be uniquely affected by climate change due to their unusual embryonic development occurring in a terrestrial environment rather than a marine one. To examine the effects of embryonic development of L. tenuis under temperature stress, I examined the effects of exposure to high temperatures for only a portion of the day coupled with a rest period of a lower temperature overnight with a mean temperature of ~23°C. Little has been done to compare the incubation of L. tenuis in water versus air, so I also describe the developmental differences observed between eggs incubated in sand versus seawater. Eggs were incubated in either sand or water in three temperature conditions of constant 20°C, alternating 30°C for eight hours and 20°C for sixteen hours, and constant 30°C. The eggs were examined under a microscope daily, hatching success testing began at 10 days post fertilization and hatchling length was measured. The eggs incubated in water showed more frequent deformities, slower embryonic development, lower hatching success, and shorter hatchling length than those incubated in sand across all temperature treatments. Future studies should focus on the factors behind what causes the developmental deficiencies in eggs incubated in water.