Wound healing in an elasmobranch fish is not impaired by high-CO2 exposure.

The purpose of this study was to test the effects of high-CO2 exposure on wound healing rates in an elasmobranch fish (Urobatis jamaicensis). Small dermal injuries (8 mm biopsy) closed by 22 days post-wounding with a decrease in haematocrit. High-CO2 exposure (DeltapH = 1.4) did not influence healing rate or haematocrit. Combined, these data provide evidence that minimally invasive scientific procedures have short-term impacts on elasmobranch fishes even during exposure to a chronic stressor. Therefore, wound healing rates may not be strongly impacted by ocean acidification (DeltapH = 0.4). This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.