Respiratory Responses to Hypoxia in Winter Flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus).

Abstract

Climate change lower dissolved oxygen (hypoxic) by increasing the temperature; acidify the oceans by increasing dissolved carbon dioxide. Winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus) are native bottom-dwelling fish in the Long Island Sound (LIS). Parts of LIS are affected by sluggish circulation, municipal wastes, anthropogenic inputs; LIS may become hypoxic during hot summer months. Hemoglobin (Hb) is a protein found in the red blood cell, and responsible for oxygen transport from gills to tissue. In fish, oxygen is taken up into red blood cells at the gills and released to tissues due to the decreased pH and increased temperature. Little is known about the respiratory and behavioral responses of adult winter flounder to hypoxic water, nor the consequence or distribution of winter flounder. Winter flounder was exposed to increasing hypoxia from 8 mg O 2 /L (150 torr pO 2 ) (normoxia) to 1 mg O 2 /L.