Effect of CO2 driven seawater acidification on survival, growth, amino acid and fatty acid levels in the edible shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei

Abstract

Acidification in the ocean environment is considered a worldwide problem that drives serious consequences for organisms. The current investigation was focused to study the effect of CO₂ induced ocean acidification (OA) on the survival, growth, and composition of amino acids and fatty acids in the shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei. A seven weeks OA experiment was conducted on the shrimp groups with different pH such as 8.2 (control), 7.8, 7.6, 7.4, 7.2, and 7.0. A considerable decline in survival, growth, essential and nonessential amino acids, and saturated fatty acids was recorded in shrimps under OA exposures (pH 7.8–7.0). In this context, a notable improvement in amino acids (histidine, alanine, and cysteine) and fatty acids (palmitoleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid) in L. vannamei reared under acidified seawater environments suggests that the high demand for these amino acids and fatty acids to tolerate the acidic stress.