Hatching an egg-cellent plan: investigating vibrationally and chemically-cued hatching and development of marine invertebrate eggs in relation to envi

Eggs and larvae use sensory information from the environment to regulate development and the timing of hatching. Larvae must hatch at the appropriate time to survive. Sensory cues, such as vibrational and chemical, are prevalent in the marine environment where waves crash and predators rove along the seabed.Human activities add to these, with operations such as drilling and construction producing high amplitude ground-borne vibrations and inducing chemical water changes.

Whilst physical disturbance (vibration) of eggs is known to be a hatching cue in turtles and amphibians, the role of sensory cues, particularly vibration, in the hatching of marine invertebrate eggs is undocumented for many species. There is therefore a need to understand the role of sensory information in hatching, and how natural and anthropogenic variation affects survival and development.

Objectives:

We will investigate egg hatching in marine invertebrates in ecologically and commercially relevant species: (1) measuring solid-borne vibrations and chemical cues found naturally in the environment, plus those anthropogenically produced. (2) exposing eggs to small-scale vibrational and chemical exposures in line with (1), monitoring hatch timing, egg development and damage under controlled conditions.

Novelty:

The study of the biological use of vibrational waves, "biotremology", is a new discipline at the forefront of vibroacoustic science. Within this area, our understanding of vibrational use in aquatic systems is highly limited, with seabed vibration a little understood component of noise. Additionally, whilst chemicals are typically accepted and regulated as a pollutant, there is much to be learned regarding chemically-cued hatching.

Timeliness:

Underwater pollutants are a continued growing marine stress yet there is little information regarding potential impacts upon early stages of invertebrate reproduction. Marine environments are facing increasing developments (e.g. renewables and resource extraction) and there is a need to understand how ecosystems may be impacted, and how to maintain ecosystem health.