Dataset: Histological gonad reproductive scores for purple sea urchins from experiments at the Bodega Marine Laboratory from Sep to Dec 2023

These data include histological scores of individual purple sea urchins, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, involved in a multifactorial laboratory experiment at the Bodega Marine Laboratory between 2023-09 and 2023-12. The experiment investigated how populaton source (Sonoma, Santa Barbara, San Diego Counties) and temperature (10 degrees, 20 degrees, and dynamic historical temperature trends (21-18 °C mimicking a historical El Nino) affected reproductive stage of the organisms.

Field Collections and Acclimation

We collected animals from three locations in California including Stillwater Cove in Sonoma County, Mohawk Reef in Santa Barbara, and Point Loma in San Diego using SCUBA from 3-5 meters mean low water. Urchins were dry transported layered between kelp and transferred via ground transportation and into the ambient flow through sea water tanks at Bodega Marine Lab within 24 hours of collection. Temperature ramps and acclimation periods were manually adjusted in 1ºC increments.

Mesocosm System

Animals were housed in a temperature controlled seawater system at the Bodega Marine Laboratory. We placed individuals in a custom-built experimental array at the Bodega Marine Laboratory in which individuals from each population were placed in a split plot design in replicated (N = 4 each 140L - 73 (W) x 66 (H) x 32 (D) cm) acrylic tanks per treatment (Oceans Design Inc). Tanks were fed by sumps fixed with both 0.25hp chillers (Aqualogic Delta Star®) and 1000W heat sticks (TSHTCE-1000S) and temperature controllers to regulate temperature in a partially recirculating flow through system with fresh seawater allocated to each system at a rate of 0.5L/min (approx. 5x turnover per day). Each sump was affixed with protein skimmers, UV filter, and bio-ball filters such that water was first filtered and then UV sterilized upon recirculation. Temperatures were set by hand each day for the heatwave treatments and checked with temperature probes for all treatments. We ran experiments from September 15, 2023, to December 19, 2023.

Animal husbandry

We fed individuals uniform dry pellets combining several macroalgal species formulated for the aquaculture of S. purpuratus (Urchinomics Canada Inc., Halifax, NS, Canada). Animals in mesocosms were fed twice per week and we removed uneaten food and refuse every 72 h. To optimize access for all mesocosm inhabitants to abundant food, we enclosed subjects and food in aquaculture baskets (two baskets per mesocosm, 7 or 8 animals per basket, Thunderbird Plastics 48 x 33.5 x 10 cm Fish Farm Tray) such that food was always readily accessible, and movement was not impeded. Each animal was supplied approximately 2.7 grams of pelleted food twice per week for the duration of the experiment. 

Histological and gonad assays

Animals were measured and sacrificed and gonads were carefully excised from the opened test. Using a clean, sterile scalpel we excised an approximately 2 mm cross section from the first gonad which we immediately placed in a histological cassette, preserved in Hartmann’s fixative for 24 hours, and transferred to 70% EtOH. Preserved gonads were embedded in paraffin, sliced, stained using eosin and hematoxylin, and mounted. We assessed gonad samples for sex and developmental stage using four visual subsections and the entire sample collectively to ensure agreement among subsamples. Histological slides were scored on a scale of I to IV (Byrne 1990).