Ocean acidification weakens the structural integrity of coralline algae.
Ragazzola, Federica, Foster, Laura C., Form, Armin, Anderson, Philip S. L., Hansteen, Thor H. and Fietzke, Jan (2012) Ocean acidification weakens the structural integrity of coralline algae. Global Change Biology, 18 (9). pp. 2804-2812. DOI 10.1111/j.1365-2486.2012.02756.x.
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Abstract
The uptake of anthropogenic emission of carbon dioxide is resulting in a lowering of the carbonate saturation state and a drop in ocean pH. Understanding how marine calcifying organisms such as coralline algae may acclimatize to ocean acidification is important to understand their survival over the coming century. We present the first long-term perturbation experiment on the cold-water coralline algae, which are important marine calcifiers in the benthic ecosystems particularly at the higher latitudes. Lithothamnion glaciale, after three months incubation, continued to calcify even in undersaturated conditions with a significant trend towards lower growth rates with increasing pCO2. However, the major changes in the ultra-structure occur by 589 μatm (i.e. in saturated waters). Finite element models of the algae grown at these heightened levels show an increase in the total strain energy of nearly an order of magnitude and an uneven distribution of the stress inside the skeleton when subjected to similar loads as algae grown at ambient levels. This weakening of the structure is likely to reduce the ability of the alga to resist boring by predators and wave energy with severe consequences to the benthic community structure in the immediate future (50 years).
Document Type: | Article |
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Additional Information: | WOS:000307222700012 |
Keywords: | Biological Oceanography; Marine chemistry; Geochemistry; Climate change; Coralline algae; Long-term experiments; Ocean acidification; Structural changes; FINITE-ELEMENT-ANALYSIS; CARBONIC-ACID; CO2; RHODOPHYTA; MORPHOLOGY; DISSOCIATION; ORGANISMS; CONSTANTS; PRESSURE; SEAWATER |
Research affiliation: | OceanRep > GEOMAR > FB2 Marine Biogeochemistry > FB2-MG Marine Geosystems OceanRep > GEOMAR > FB2 Marine Biogeochemistry > FB2-BI Biological Oceanography OceanRep > GEOMAR > FB4 Dynamics of the Ocean Floor > FB4-MUHS Magmatic and Hydrothermal Systems OceanRep > The Future Ocean - Cluster of Excellence |
Refereed: | Yes |
Open Access Journal?: | No |
DOI etc.: | 10.1111/j.1365-2486.2012.02756.x |
ISSN: | 1354-1013 |
Projects: | BIOACID, Future Ocean |
Date Deposited: | 11 Jul 2012 10:20 |
Last Modified: | 05 May 2014 10:57 |
URI: | http://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/14784 |
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