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Impact of Ocean Acidification on Marine Organisms—Unifying Principles and New Paradigms

A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Oceans and Coastal Zones".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2014) | Viewed by 129171

Special Issue Editors

Department for Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, The Kristineberg Marine Research Station, 45178 Fiskebäckskil, Sweden
Interests: ocean acidification; climate change; eco-physiology; echinoderms
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Department of Marine Ecology - Kristineberg, University of Gothenburg, Kristineberg 566, SE-450 34 Fiskebäckskil, Sweden

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Guest Editor
School of Marine Science and Engineering, University of Plymouth, Portland Square, Drake Circus, Plymouth, UK

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Among anthropogenic stressors, ocean acidification—the decrease in the pH of the oceans caused by their uptake of anthropogenic carbon dioxide from the atmosphere—are of great concern and are believed to be a major threat for near-future ecosystem health. Rates of climate change are increasingly fast and we can only guess at the kinds of organisms that will suffer (“losers”) or benefit (“winners”) from this mayhem that is radically altering ecosystem structure. The impact of ocean acidification appears to be extremely species- and even population-specific and depends on life-history stages and the processes studied. The impact also needs to be considered in the context of additional relevant factors such as temperature and other anthropogenic stressors such as pollution. Until now, Ocean acidification has been moving forward as a hypothesis-driven research field and the current paradigms (e.g. ocean acidification will negatively impact calcifiers) are now being revisited. For example, some of the taxa predicted to be heavily impacted appear to be surprisingly resilient to low pH / high pCO2. To allow large-scale predictions of the impact of ocean acidification on marine ecosystems it is important to understand how ocean acidification together with other stressors will modify the evolutionary rules shaping marine ecosystems.

This Special Issue will compile research articles on recent research together with reviews on the biological impact of ocean acidification. These will have special focus on species and ecosystem resilience in relation to present and future natural environmental variability, life history strategy and population plasticity along latitudinal gradients to explore both intra- and inter- specific adaptive potential and genetic variability in various taxa.

Prof. Dr. Mike Thorndyke
Dr. Sam Dupont
Dr. Jason Hall-Spencer
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • ocean acidification
  • climate change
  • pCO2
  • pH
  • eco-physiology
  • ecosystem
  • resilience
  • evolution

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Published Papers (11 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research, Review

172 KiB  
Editorial
Impact of Ocean Acidification on Marine Organisms—Unifying Principles and New Paradigms
by Jason M. Hall-Spencer, Mike Thorndyke and Sam Dupont
Water 2015, 7(10), 5592-5598; https://doi.org/10.3390/w7105592 - 15 Oct 2015
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 7665
Abstract
This special issue combines original research with seminal reviews of the biological impact of ocean acidification. The ten contributions cover a wide range of topics from chemical and biological responses to increased CO2 and decreased pH to socio-economical sensitivities and adaptation options. [...] Read more.
This special issue combines original research with seminal reviews of the biological impact of ocean acidification. The ten contributions cover a wide range of topics from chemical and biological responses to increased CO2 and decreased pH to socio-economical sensitivities and adaptation options. Overall, this special issue also highlights the key knowledge gaps and future challenges. These include the need to develop research strategy and experiments that factor in evolution, incorporate natural variability in physical conditions (e.g., pH, temperature, oxygen, food quality and quantity) and ecological interactions. The research presented in this special issue demonstrates the need to study more habitats (e.g., coastal, deep sea) and prioritize species of ecological or economic significance. Full article

Research

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3436 KiB  
Article
Environmental pH, O2 and Capsular Effects on the Geochemical Composition of Statoliths of Embryonic Squid Doryteuthis opalescens
by Michael O. Navarro, Emily E. Bockmon, Christina A. Frieder, Jennifer P. Gonzalez and Lisa A. Levin
Water 2014, 6(8), 2233-2254; https://doi.org/10.3390/w6082233 - 30 Jul 2014
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 9742
Abstract
Spawning market squid lay embryo capsules on the seafloor of the continental shelf of the California Current System (CCS), where ocean acidification, deoxygenation and intensified upwelling lower the pH and [O2]. Squid statolith geochemistry has been shown to reflect the squid’s [...] Read more.
Spawning market squid lay embryo capsules on the seafloor of the continental shelf of the California Current System (CCS), where ocean acidification, deoxygenation and intensified upwelling lower the pH and [O2]. Squid statolith geochemistry has been shown to reflect the squid’s environment (e.g., seawater temperature and elemental concentration). We used real-world environmental levels of pH and [O2] observed on squid-embryo beds to test in the laboratory whether or not squid statolith geochemistry reflects environmental pH and [O2]. We asked whether pH and [O2] levels might affect the incorporation of element ratios (B:Ca, Mg:Ca, Sr:Ca, Ba:Ca, Pb:Ca, U:Ca) into squid embryonic statoliths as (1) individual elements and/or (2) multivariate elemental signatures, and consider future applications as proxies for pH and [O2] exposure. Embryo exposure to high and low pH and [O2] alone and together during development over four weeks only moderately affected elemental concentrations of the statoliths, and uranium was an important element driving these differences. Uranium:Ca was eight-times higher in statoliths exposed to low pHT (7.57–7.58) and low [O2] (79–82 µmol·kg−1) than those exposed to higher ambient pHT (7.92–7.94) and [O2] (241–243 µmol·kg−1). In a separate experiment, exposure to low pHT (7.55–7.56) or low [O2] (83–86 µmol·kg−1) yielded elevated U:Ca and Sr:Ca in the low [O2] treatment only. We found capsular effects on multiple elements in statoliths of all treatments. The multivariate elemental signatures of embryonic statoliths were distinct among capsules, but did not reflect environmental factors (pH and/or [O2]). We show that statoliths of squid embryos developing inside capsules have the potential to reflect environmental pH and [O2], but that these “signals” are generated in concert with the physiological effects of the capsules and embryos themselves. Full article
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404 KiB  
Article
Development of a Continuous Phytoplankton Culture System for Ocean Acidification Experiments
by Cathryn Wynn-Edwards, Rob King, So Kawaguchi, Andrew Davidson, Simon Wright, Peter D. Nichols and Patti Virtue
Water 2014, 6(6), 1860-1872; https://doi.org/10.3390/w6061860 - 17 Jun 2014
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 8966
Abstract
Around one third of all anthropogenic CO2 emissions have been absorbed by the oceans, causing changes in seawater pH and carbonate chemistry. These changes have the potential to affect phytoplankton, which are critically important for marine food webs and the global carbon [...] Read more.
Around one third of all anthropogenic CO2 emissions have been absorbed by the oceans, causing changes in seawater pH and carbonate chemistry. These changes have the potential to affect phytoplankton, which are critically important for marine food webs and the global carbon cycle. However, our current knowledge of how phytoplankton will respond to these changes is limited to a few laboratory and mesocosm experiments. Long-term experiments are needed to determine the vulnerability of phytoplankton to enhanced pCO2. Maintaining phytoplankton cultures in exponential growth for extended periods of time is logistically difficult and labour intensive. Here we describe a continuous culture system that greatly reduces the time required to maintain phytoplankton cultures, and minimises variation in experimental pCO2 treatments over time. This system is simple, relatively cheap, flexible, and allows long-term experiments to be performed to further our understanding of chronic responses and adaptation by phytoplankton species to future ocean acidification. Full article
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518 KiB  
Article
Species-Specific Variations in the Nutritional Quality of Southern Ocean Phytoplankton in Response to Elevated pCO2
by Cathryn Wynn-Edwards, Rob King, Andrew Davidson, Simon Wright, Peter D. Nichols, Simon Wotherspoon, So Kawaguchi and Patti Virtue
Water 2014, 6(6), 1840-1859; https://doi.org/10.3390/w6061840 - 17 Jun 2014
Cited by 26 | Viewed by 7616
Abstract
Increased seawater pCO2 has the potential to alter phytoplankton biochemistry, which in turn may negatively affect the nutritional quality of phytoplankton as food for grazers. Our aim was to identify how Antarctic phytoplankton, Pyramimonas gelidicola, Phaeocystis antarctica, and Gymnodinium [...] Read more.
Increased seawater pCO2 has the potential to alter phytoplankton biochemistry, which in turn may negatively affect the nutritional quality of phytoplankton as food for grazers. Our aim was to identify how Antarctic phytoplankton, Pyramimonas gelidicola, Phaeocystis antarctica, and Gymnodinium sp., respond to increased pCO2. Cultures were maintained in a continuous culture setup to ensure stable CO2 concentrations. Cells were subjected to a range of pCO2 from ambient to 993 µatm. We measured phytoplankton response in terms of cell size, cellular carbohydrate content, and elemental, pigment and fatty acid composition and content. We observed few changes in phytoplankton biochemistry with increasing CO2 concentration which were species-specific and predominantly included differences in the fatty acid composition. The C:N ratio was unaffected by CO2 concentration in the three species, while carbohydrate content decreased in Pyramimonas gelidicola, but increased in Phaeocystis antarctica. We found a significant reduction in the content of nutritionally important polyunsaturated fatty acids in Pyramimonas gelidicola cultures under high CO2 treatment, while cellular levels of the polyunsaturated fatty acid 20:5ω3, EPA, in Gymnodinium sp. increased. These changes in fatty acid profile could affect the nutritional quality of phytoplankton as food for grazers, however, further research is needed to identify the mechanisms for the observed species-specific changes and to improve our ability to extrapolate laboratory-based experiments on individual species to natural communities. Full article
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599 KiB  
Article
Exposure of Mediterranean Countries to Ocean Acidification
by Nathalie Hilmi, Denis Allemand, Mine Cinar, Sarah Cooley, Jason M Hall-Spencer, Gunnar Haraldsson, Caroline Hattam, Ross A. Jeffree, James C. Orr, Katrin Rehdanz, Stéphanie Reynaud, Alain Safa and Sam Dupont
Water 2014, 6(6), 1719-1744; https://doi.org/10.3390/w6061719 - 16 Jun 2014
Cited by 22 | Viewed by 14867
Abstract
This study examines the potential effects of ocean acidification on countries and fisheries of the Mediterranean Sea. The implications for seafood security and supply are evaluated by examining the sensitivity of the Mediterranean to ocean acidification at chemical, biological, and macro-economic levels. The [...] Read more.
This study examines the potential effects of ocean acidification on countries and fisheries of the Mediterranean Sea. The implications for seafood security and supply are evaluated by examining the sensitivity of the Mediterranean to ocean acidification at chemical, biological, and macro-economic levels. The limited information available on impacts of ocean acidification on harvested (industrial, recreational, and artisanal fishing) and cultured species (aquaculture) prevents any biological impact assessment. However, it appears that non-developed nations around the Mediterranean, particularly those for which fisheries are increasing, yet rely heavily on artisanal fleets, are most greatly exposed to socioeconomic consequences from ocean acidification. Full article
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258 KiB  
Article
Resistance of Two Mediterranean Cold-Water Coral Species to Low-pH Conditions
by Juancho Movilla, Andrea Gori, Eva Calvo, Covadonga Orejas, Àngel López-Sanz, Carlos Domínguez-Carrió, Jordi Grinyó and Carles Pelejero
Water 2014, 6(1), 59-67; https://doi.org/10.3390/w6010059 - 31 Dec 2013
Cited by 37 | Viewed by 9258
Abstract
Deep-water ecosystems are characterized by relatively low carbonate concentration values and, due to ocean acidification (OA), these habitats might be among the first to be exposed to undersaturated conditions in the forthcoming years. However, until now, very few studies have been conducted to [...] Read more.
Deep-water ecosystems are characterized by relatively low carbonate concentration values and, due to ocean acidification (OA), these habitats might be among the first to be exposed to undersaturated conditions in the forthcoming years. However, until now, very few studies have been conducted to test how cold-water coral (CWC) species react to such changes in the seawater chemistry. The present work aims to investigate the mid-term effect of decreased pH on calcification of the two branching CWC species most widely distributed in the Mediterranean, Lophelia pertusa and Madrepora oculata. No significant effects were observed in the skeletal growth rate, microdensity and porosity of both species after 6 months of exposure. However, while the calcification rate of M. oculata was similar for all colony fragments, a heterogeneous skeletal growth pattern was observed in L. pertusa, the younger nubbins showing higher growth rates than the older ones. A higher energy demand is expected in these young, fast-growing fragments and, therefore, a reduction in calcification might be noticed earlier during long-term exposure to acidified conditions. Full article
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1761 KiB  
Article
Effects of Ocean Acidification and Warming on Sperm Activity and Early Life Stages of the Mediterranean Mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis)
by Mikko Vihtakari, Iris E. Hendriks, Johnna Holding, Paul E. Renaud, Carlos M. Duarte and Jon N. Havenhand
Water 2013, 5(4), 1890-1915; https://doi.org/10.3390/w5041890 - 19 Nov 2013
Cited by 44 | Viewed by 10670
Abstract
Larval stages are among those most vulnerable to ocean acidification (OA). Projected atmospheric CO2 levels for the end of this century may lead to negative impacts on communities dominated by calcifying taxa with planktonic life stages. We exposed Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis [...] Read more.
Larval stages are among those most vulnerable to ocean acidification (OA). Projected atmospheric CO2 levels for the end of this century may lead to negative impacts on communities dominated by calcifying taxa with planktonic life stages. We exposed Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) sperm and early life stages to pHT levels of 8.0 (current pH) and 7.6 (2100 level) by manipulating pCO2 level (380 and 1000 ppm). Sperm activity was examined at ambient temperatures (16–17 °C) using individual males as replicates. We also assessed the effects of temperature (ambient and ≈20 °C) and pH on larval size, survival, respiration and calcification of late trochophore/early D-veliger stages using a cross-factorial design. Increased pCO2 had a negative effect on the percentage of motile sperm (mean response ratio R= 71%) and sperm swimming speed (R= 74%), possibly indicating reduced fertilization capacity of sperm in low concentrations. Increased temperature had a more prominent effect on larval stages than pCO2, reducing performance (RSize = 90% and RSurvival = 70%) and increasing energy demand (RRespiration = 429%). We observed no significant interactions between pCO2 and temperature. Our results suggest that increasing temperature might have a larger impact on very early larval stages of M. galloprovincialis than OA at levels predicted for the end of the century. Full article
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427 KiB  
Article
Buffer Capacity, Ecosystem Feedbacks, and Seawater Chemistry under Global Change
by Christopher P. Jury, Florence I.M. Thomas, Marlin J. Atkinson and Robert J. Toonen
Water 2013, 5(3), 1303-1325; https://doi.org/10.3390/w5031303 - 6 Sep 2013
Cited by 45 | Viewed by 11450
Abstract
Ocean acidification (OA) results in reduced seawater pH and aragonite saturation state (Ωarag), but also reduced seawater buffer capacity. As buffer capacity decreases, diel variation in seawater chemistry increases. However, a variety of ecosystem feedbacks can modulate changes in both average [...] Read more.
Ocean acidification (OA) results in reduced seawater pH and aragonite saturation state (Ωarag), but also reduced seawater buffer capacity. As buffer capacity decreases, diel variation in seawater chemistry increases. However, a variety of ecosystem feedbacks can modulate changes in both average seawater chemistry and diel seawater chemistry variation. Here we model these effects for a coastal, reef flat ecosystem. We show that an increase in offshore pCO2 and temperature (to 900 µatm and + 3 °C) can increase diel pH variation by as much as a factor of 2.5 and can increase diel pCO2 variation by a factor of 4.6, depending on ecosystem feedbacks and seawater residence time. Importantly, these effects are different between day and night. With increasing seawater residence time and increasing feedback intensity, daytime seawater chemistry becomes more similar to present-day conditions while nighttime seawater chemistry becomes less similar to present-day conditions. Recent studies suggest that carbonate chemistry variation itself, independent of the average chemistry conditions, can have important effects on marine organisms and ecosystem processes. Better constraining ecosystem feedbacks under global change will improve projections of coastal water chemistry, but this study shows the importance of considering changes in both average carbonate chemistry and diel chemistry variation for organisms and ecosystems. Full article
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Review

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430 KiB  
Review
Evolution of Marine Organisms under Climate Change at Different Levels of Biological Organisation
by Ben P. Harvey, Balsam Al-Janabi, Stefanie Broszeit, Rebekah Cioffi, Amit Kumar, Maria Aranguren-Gassis, Allison Bailey, Leon Green, Carina M. Gsottbauer, Emilie F. Hall, Maria Lechler, Francesco P. Mancuso, Camila O. Pereira, Elena Ricevuto, Julie B. Schram, Laura S. Stapp, Simon Stenberg and Lindzai T. Santa Rosa
Water 2014, 6(11), 3545-3574; https://doi.org/10.3390/w6113545 - 21 Nov 2014
Cited by 34 | Viewed by 21444
Abstract
Research to date has suggested that both individual marine species and ecological processes are expected to exhibit diverse responses to the environmental effects of climate change. Evolutionary responses can occur on rapid (ecological) timescales, and yet studies typically do not consider the role [...] Read more.
Research to date has suggested that both individual marine species and ecological processes are expected to exhibit diverse responses to the environmental effects of climate change. Evolutionary responses can occur on rapid (ecological) timescales, and yet studies typically do not consider the role that adaptive evolution will play in modulating biological responses to climate change. Investigations into such responses have typically been focused at particular biological levels (e.g., cellular, population, community), often lacking interactions among levels. Since all levels of biological organisation are sensitive to global climate change, there is a need to elucidate how different processes and hierarchical interactions will influence species fitness. Therefore, predicting the responses of communities and populations to global change will require multidisciplinary efforts across multiple levels of hierarchy, from the genetic and cellular to communities and ecosystems. Eventually, this may allow us to establish the role that acclimatisation and adaptation will play in determining marine community structures in future scenarios. Full article
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227 KiB  
Review
Managing Local Coastal Stressors to Reduce the Ecological Effects of Ocean Acidification and Warming
by Giulia Ghedini, Bayden D. Russell and Sean D. Connell
Water 2013, 5(4), 1653-1661; https://doi.org/10.3390/w5041653 - 10 Oct 2013
Cited by 23 | Viewed by 8123
Abstract
Anthropogenic activities have increased the number of stressors acting on ecosystems. When multiple stressors act simultaneously, there is a greater probability of additive, synergistic and antagonistic effects occurring among them. Where additive and synergistic effects occur, managers may yield disproportionately large benefits where [...] Read more.
Anthropogenic activities have increased the number of stressors acting on ecosystems. When multiple stressors act simultaneously, there is a greater probability of additive, synergistic and antagonistic effects occurring among them. Where additive and synergistic effects occur, managers may yield disproportionately large benefits where they first act upon synergies. Stressors act, however, at different spatial and temporal scales. Global stressors (e.g., ocean acidification and warming) tend to change slowly over long periods of time, although their intensity and effects are contingent on local conditions. On the other hand, local stressors tend to change rapidly over shorter, more defined spatial and temporal scales. Hence, local stressors can be subject to a greater degree of control through local management (e.g., eutrophication and overfishing) while global stressors are characterized by an intrinsic inertia whose effects last for decades, if not centuries. Although the reduction of carbon emissions is an international priority for managing global stressors, it requires international agreements and management applications that take considerable time to develop. Managers, however, may ‘buy time’ by acting on stressors whose governance is local (e.g., reducing nutrient input) and are known to synergize with global stressors (e.g., enriched CO2). Such local actions may potentially disrupt synergies with the more slowly changing global stressors that can only be reduced over longer time scales. Full article
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385 KiB  
Review
The Impact of Ocean Acidification on Reproduction, Early Development and Settlement of Marine Organisms
by Pauline M. Ross, Laura Parker, Wayne A. O’Connor and Elizabeth A. Bailey
Water 2011, 3(4), 1005-1030; https://doi.org/10.3390/w3041005 - 7 Nov 2011
Cited by 146 | Viewed by 15920
Abstract
Predicting the impact of warming and acidifying on oceans on the early development life history stages of invertebrates although difficult, is essential in order to anticipate the severity and consequences of future climate change. This review summarises the current literature and meta-analyses on [...] Read more.
Predicting the impact of warming and acidifying on oceans on the early development life history stages of invertebrates although difficult, is essential in order to anticipate the severity and consequences of future climate change. This review summarises the current literature and meta-analyses on the early life-history stages of invertebrates including fertilisation, larval development and the implications for dispersal and settlement of populations. Although fertilisation appears robust to near future predictions of ocean acidification, larval development is much more vulnerable and across invertebrate groups, evidence indicates that the impacts may be severe. This is especially for those many marine organisms which start to calcify in their larval and/or juvenile stages. Species-specificity and variability in responses and current gaps in the literature are highlighted, including the need for studies to investigate the total effects of climate change including the synergistic impact of temperature, and the need for long-term multigenerational experiments to determine whether vulnerable invertebrate species have the capacity to adapt to elevations in atmospheric CO2 over the next century. Full article
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