Global climate change is the biggest adaptation challenge for marine biodiversity in our time. By 2100, it is projected that surface ocean temperatures will rise by up to 4 °C, and surface ocean pH will decline by 0.4 units. To survive in this changing ocean, marine organisms will need to improve their resilience. Unfortunately, for most marine organisms tested to date, resilience in one trait comes at a “trade-off” in another.
Attempts to breed resilience in the edible oyster, Saccostrea glomerata have come at a trade-off in their energy budget, with resilient oysters having lower metabolic scope. The aim of this study was to determine whether it is possible to breed resilience in S. glomerata to climate change, without the trade-offs in their energy budget. Twenty-four pair-mated families of S. glomerata were exposed to ocean warming and acidification for 4 w and their level of resilience and energy budget was assessed. The level of resilience to ocean warming and acidification differed substantially across families. For some families, there was an energetic cost of resilience. Importantly, however, some families displayed resilience without an energetic cost. Understanding instances of trade-offs in marine organisms that are resilient to climate change, and the capacity to overcome them, is an essential aspect to consider in aquaculture breeding programs.