Abstract: High carbon dioxide continues to accumulate in our atmosphere, causing climate change. The oceans are doing us a huge favour by absorbing about a quarter of the CO2 released in our atmosphere, but in the process the oceans are becoming more acidic. In this talk, Professor Porteus will present recently published work that shows that high carbon dioxide can have a direct effect on the behavior, and olfactory systems, of fish and crustaceans, threatening our food supply and our ocean biodiversity.
Cosima Porteus is a Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Toronto Scarborough, where her lab studies the effects and physiological mechanisms of anthropogenic stressors on aquatic animals. Her research groups have recently shown that ocean acidification negatively affects olfaction in Dungeness crabs, an economically important crustacean, in a similar way as in fish. These findings have wide implications for issues ranging from global food security and marine conservation to recreational and commercially important fisheries.
Great Explorations, is a series of academic discussions we hope will inspire our communities. Our special thanks to our engaged, critical thinkers who attend our speaker series. The dialogues that came out of these talks, both in-person and online via Zoom, are integral to our campus community and Scarborough communities at large. We welcome your input for future topics, as well as a review of previous recorded sessions available on YouTube.