Zhen Liu , Yeping Han

Institute of Life Science, Jiyang College of Zhejiang A&F University, Zhuji, 311800, Zhejiang, China
Author    Correspondence author
International Journal of Marine Science, 2025, Vol. 15, No. 4   
Received: 03 Jul., 2025    Accepted: 10 Aug., 2025    Published: 19 Aug., 2025

This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

In recent years, CO₂ emitted by human activities has continued to rise. The ocean absorbs these CO₂ and has caused seawater acidification. It is expected that the pH of the sea surface will drop by 0.3~0.4 by the end of this century. Tropical sea cucumbers are the "engineers" of the subsea ecosystem, promoting organic degradation and nutrient circulation through feeding disturbances. This study reviews the effects of marine acidification on the metabolism and behavior of tropical sea cucumbers. Studies have shown that under low pH conditions, sea cucumbers have increased respiratory metabolic pressure, digestive enzyme activity is reduced, and more energy is used to maintain the acid-base balance in the body, and their growth and reproduction are limited. At the same time, sea cucumber feeding rate and defense behavior are inhibited, and habitat distribution may change. These changes will have a chain effect on tropical ecosystems such as coral reefs, weaken the nutrient circulation function, and affect ecological balance. In-depth research on the impact mechanism of marine acidification on sea cucumbers will help predict the response of marine ecosystems under climate change and provide scientific basis for resource conservation and aquaculture management.

Ocean acidification; Tropical sea cucumber; Metabolism; Behavior; Ecological impact