Caribbean king crab larvae and juveniles show tolerance to ocean acidification and ocean warming

Abstract Coastal habitats are experiencing decreases in seawater pH and increases temperature due to anthropogenic climate change. The Caribbean king crab, Maguimithrax spinosissimus , plays a vital role on Western Atlantic reefs by grazing macroalgae that competes for space with coral recruits. Therefore, identifying its tolerance stressors is critically needed if this species be considered as potential restoration management strategy reef environments. We examined the effects of (control: 28 °C elevated: 31 °C) 8.0 reduced pH: 7.7) crab’s larval early juvenile survival, molt-stage duration, morphology fully crossed laboratory experiment. Survival megalopal stage was (13.5% lower) combined elevated treatment relative control. First-stage (J1) juveniles delayed molting 1.5 days treatment, while second-stage (J2) crabs molted 3 earlier when exposed temperature. Juvenile did not differ among treatments. These results suggests tolerant changes associated Given important crab grazer macroalgae, it could benefit efforts aimed at making more resilient increasingly warm acidic oceans into future.