Food consumption responses of Turbo sazae and Mesocentrotus nudus under experimental warming conditions during the low-temperature period
Rising seawater temperatures can alter the feeding activity of coastal herbivorous grazers and, in turn, the composition of macroalgal communities and the formation and persistence of barren grounds. We therefore tested whether experimental warming during the low-temperature period alters the food consumption rates and the relative use of individual macroalgae by the top shell Turbo sazae and the sea urchin Mesocentrotus nudus. Feeding experiments were conducted between January and April 2024 at the ambient low-temperature condition of 10°C and at 20°C, approximately 10°C above ambient. Three macroalgae, Codium fragile, Saccharina japonica, and Gelidium amansii, were offered simultaneously, and consumption rates were calculated from the change in wet weight over 5 days and normalized to grazer wet weight. Weight-specific consumption rates of T. sazae were 0.025 and 0.030 g g-1 d-1 at 10°C and 20°C, respectively, whereas those of M. nudus were 0.043 and 0.047 g g-1 d-1. Mean consumption rates were slightly higher at 20°C in both species, but the difference between the two temperature treatments was not statistically significant. Both species consumed S. japonica at the highest rate among the three macroalgae offered, and M. nudus consumed more in total than T. sazae at both temperatures. These results indicate that experimental warming during the low-temperature period did not significantly increase food consumption in either grazer. Seasonal physiological status, reproductive stage, and species-specific traits should therefore be taken into account when potential grazing pressure on macroalgal communities in the East Sea is evaluated.