'Seaweed' of the sea is threatened

L. helicina is a wing-legged animal - a soft-bodied marine animal that is as small as a lentil - often called the 'fried potato' of the ocean because it is the food source of many species including salmon , mackerel, herring and cod. Pteropod means the "wing leg" refers to the transformation of the molluscs' feet into the way or pedal used to paddle in the water. After winged animals are consumed by fish, they will be consumed by other animals, such as penguins.

They create calcium carbonate shells from seawater. Because the acidity of seawater is increasing due to climate change, their shells deteriorate, making their resistance to climate warming significantly reduced.

Researcher Gretchen Hofmann said: 'These creatures are not widely known, but they are sending us messages like penguins or white bears. They are the signalers of change. '

When the sea is warmer and the acidity level is higher, marine creatures such as Limacina helicina are under tremendous pressure and the entire food network is affected.
(Photo: Russ Hopocroft, Alaska Fairbanks University)

Hofmann, a professor of biology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, studied how genes are turned on and off in Limacina helicina and other molluscs when they produce calcium carbonate shells for themselves. She reported that in order to cope with high levels of acidity in the sea, the animal had to "regulate" the metabolism in order to be able to create shells, but at a certain price. Physiological changes to adapt to high acidity make this animal less able to tolerate warmer seawater, and their size is smaller.

These observations show that the 'double risk' situation - warming sea and high acidity levels - will create a complex environment for future marine life.

Hoffman said: 'It is very possible that by 2050 this animal cannot create a shell anymore. If we lose this species, the impact on the food chain will be enormous. '