Physiological Responses and Stress Adaptation in Aquatic Organisms
Summary
Aquatic organisms inhabit environments that can fluctuate dramatically in temperature, salinity, oxygen concentration and pollutant load. To maintain homeostasis under these challenges they deploy a suite of physiological responses including modulation of metabolic rate, osmoregulatory adjustments, endocrine signalling and immune activation. Central to these responses is the control of redox balance: reactive oxygen species generated by environmental stressors are neutralised by antioxidant enzymes and small‐molecule scavengers to prevent cellular damage. Parallel mechanisms involve heat shock proteins and stress‐responsive transcription factors that regulate gene networks governing repair, detoxification and energy allocation. Over evolutionary time many species have evolved plasticity in these systems, allowing acclimation through altered gene expression or epigenetic modifications. Understanding these pathways has global significance for predicting organismal resilience to climate change, for optimising aquaculture conditions and for informing conservation strategies in threatened habitats.
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Physiological Responses and Stress Adaptation in Aquatic Organisms publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in physiological responses and stress adaptation in aquatic organisms across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Oxidative stress: An imbalance between the production of reactive oxygen species and antioxidant defences, leading to potential cellular damage.
Redox homeostasis: The maintenance of a balanced cellular oxidation–reduction state through coordinated antioxidant and pro-oxidant processes.
Photoperiod: The duration of daily light exposure, which influences circadian and seasonal physiological responses in organisms.
Nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2): A transcription factor that regulates genes encoding antioxidant enzymes and cytoprotective proteins in response to oxidative challenge.
Malondialdehyde (MDA): A reactive aldehyde formed by lipid peroxidation, commonly used as a biomarker of oxidative damage.
References
- Seasonal Changes in Photoperiod: Effects on Growth and Redox Signaling Patterns in Atlantic Salmon Postsmolts. Antioxidants (2023).
- Environmentally driven changes in Atlantic salmon oxidative status interact with physiological performance. Aquaculture (2024).
- How short-term change in temperature or salinity affect cellular immune parameters of three-spined stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus?. Marine Environmental Research (2025).
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