Carbon emissions prompt lobsters to develop thicker shells, thus enabling them to grow nearly 50% larger than normal exoskeletons. Simulated environments with high levels of carbon also precipitate bigger crabs and shrimps. While this might be good for the restaurant business, it doesn't necessarily mean that such large crustaceans will thrive in their natural habitats. While CO2 is beneficial for exoskeleton growth, clams, scallops, oysters and other "calcifiers" developed thinner shells under extended exposure to high levels of carbon. Incidentally, these species form a great portion of the lobster's diet. What bittersweet, global-warming irony...
Check the article out at NPR.org: "Giant Lobsters From Rising Greenhouse Gases?"
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