Environmental and seasonal influences on the free amino acid pool of the sea anemone Bunodosoma cavernata (BOSC) under natural conditions

1. 1. Samples of the sea anemone, Bunodosoma cavernata, were collected monthly from their natural environment and frozen immediately for amino acid analysis. 2. 2. Major free amino acids (FAA's) found in B. cavernata were taurine, glycine, β-alanine, alanine and glutamate. 3. 3. β-alanine functioned as the primary osmotic effector, exhibiting a direct, log-linear relationship with salinity. Taurine, glycine and glutamate levels were also increased at high salinity. 4. 4. Temperature and salinity-temperature interactions resulted in only minor changes in the FAA pool. FAA's were more generally concentrated during the summer months than during the winter months. 5. 5. The total concentration of the FAA pool was associated with salinity and the season-year interaction.