CAPACITY FOR ADAPTATION AND ACCLIMATIZATION TO OCEAN ACIDIFICATION IN GEODUCK THROUGH EPIGENETIC MECHANISMS

Shellfish production has been plagued by negative effects on larval shellfish associated with changes in seawater chemistry driven by ocean acidification (OA). Per unit weight, the geoduck clam (Panopea generosa) is the most valuable of shellfish in the WA fishery, ~4x greater than the Pacific oyster. From 1999-2013 the price per pound has increased 2.3x and geoduck contribute to a state shellfish industry valued at $91.9 mill (WA Sea Grant, 2015). Abundant evidence indicates effects of acute low pH on a variety of shellfish larvae, but little information exists for impacts on geoduck. We tested the sensitivity of early life stages and the potential for geoduck clams to display adaptation and acclimatization to OA and the role of DNA methylation in these processes.