scholarly journals Thermal stress reduces pocilloporid coral resilience to ocean acidification by impairing control over calcifying fluid chemistry

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. eaba9958
Author(s):  
Maxence Guillermic ◽  
Louise P. Cameron ◽  
Ilian De Corte ◽  
Sambuddha Misra ◽  
Jelle Bijma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Stress ◽  
Ocean Acidification ◽  
Pocillopora Damicornis ◽  
Carbonate Chemistry ◽  
Negative Interaction ◽  
Saturation State ◽  
Stylophora Pistillata ◽  
Coral Calcification ◽  
Influence Of Temperature On ◽  
Different Time Scales

The combination of thermal stress and ocean acidification (OA) can more negatively affect coral calcification than an individual stressors, but the mechanism behind this interaction is unknown. We used two independent methods (microelectrode and boron geochemistry) to measure calcifying fluid pH (pHcf) and carbonate chemistry of the corals Pocillopora damicornis and Stylophora pistillata grown under various temperature and pCO2 conditions. Although these approaches demonstrate that they record pHcf over different time scales, they reveal that both species can cope with OA under optimal temperatures (28°C) by elevating pHcf and aragonite saturation state (Ωcf) in support of calcification. At 31°C, neither species elevated these parameters as they did at 28°C and, likewise, could not maintain substantially positive calcification rates under any pH treatment. These results reveal a previously uncharacterized influence of temperature on coral pHcf regulation—the apparent mechanism behind the negative interaction between thermal stress and OA on coral calcification.

scholarly journals Full in vivo characterization of carbonate chemistry at the site of calcification in corals

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. eaau7447 ◽  
Author(s):  
Duygu S. Sevilgen ◽  
Alexander A. Venn ◽  
Marian Y. Hu ◽  
Eric Tambutté ◽  
Dirk de Beer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Critical Role ◽  
Carbonate Chemistry ◽  
Saturation State ◽  
Stylophora Pistillata ◽  
Coral Calcification ◽  
Carbon Concentrating Mechanisms ◽  
In Vivo Characterization

Reef-building corals form their calcium carbonate skeletons within an extracellular calcifying medium (ECM). Despite the critical role of the ECM in coral calcification, ECM carbonate chemistry is poorly constrained in vivo, and full ECM carbonate chemistry has never been characterized based solely on direct in vivo measurements. Here, we measure pHECMin the growing edge ofStylophora pistillataby simultaneously using microsensors and the fluorescent dye SNARF-1, showing that, when measured at the same time and place, the results agree. We then conduct microscope-guided microsensor measurements of pH, [Ca2+], and [CO32−] in the ECM and, from this, determine [DIC]ECMand aragonite saturation state (Ωarag), showing that all parameters are elevated with respect to the surrounding seawater. Our study provides the most complete in vivo characterization of ECM carbonate chemistry parameters in a coral species to date, pointing to the key role of calcium- and carbon-concentrating mechanisms in coral calcification.

scholarly journals Implications of observed inconsistencies in carbonate chemistry measurements for ocean acidification studies

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 1781-1792 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. J. M. Hoppe ◽  
G. Langer ◽  
S. D. Rokitta ◽  
D. A. Wolf-Gladrow ◽  
B. Rost
Keyword(s):  
Ocean Acidification ◽  
High Pco2 ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Ecological Data ◽  
Carbonate Chemistry ◽  
Carbonate System ◽  
Saturation State ◽  
Severe Problem ◽  
Important Approach ◽  
Calcite Saturation

Abstract. The growing field of ocean acidification research is concerned with the investigation of organisms' responses to increasing pCO2 values. One important approach in this context is culture work using seawater with adjusted CO2 levels. As aqueous pCO2 is difficult to measure directly in small scale experiments, it is generally calculated from two other measured parameters of the carbonate system (often AT, CT or pH). Unfortunately, the overall uncertainties of measured and subsequently calculated values are often unknown. Especially under high pCO2, this can become a severe problem with respect to the interpretation of physiological and ecological data. In the few datasets from ocean acidification research where all three of these parameters were measured, pCO2 values calculated from AT and CT are typically about 30 % lower (i.e. ~300 μatm at a target pCO2 of 1000 μatm) than those calculated from AT and pH or CT and pH. This study presents and discusses these discrepancies as well as likely consequences for the ocean acidification community. Until this problem is solved, one has to consider that calculated parameters of the carbonate system (e.g. pCO2, calcite saturation state) may not be comparable between studies, and that this may have important implications for the interpretation of CO2 perturbation experiments.

scholarly journals CO<sub>2</sub> perturbation experiments: similarities and differences between dissolved inorganic carbon and total alkalinity manipulations

2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (10) ◽  
pp. 2145-2153 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. G. Schulz ◽  
J. Barcelos e Ramos ◽  
R. E. Zeebe ◽  
U. Riebesell
Keyword(s):  
Ocean Acidification ◽  
Inorganic Carbon ◽  
Dissolved Inorganic Carbon ◽  
Total Alkalinity ◽  
Calcium Carbonate Precipitation ◽  
Carbonate Chemistry ◽  
Carbonate System ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Saturation State ◽  
Basic Approaches

Abstract. Increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) through human activities and invasion of anthropogenic CO2 into the surface ocean alters the seawater carbonate chemistry, increasing CO2 and bicarbonate (HCO3−) at the expense of carbonate ion (CO32−) concentrations. This redistribution in the dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) pool decreases pH and carbonate saturation state (Ω). Several components of the carbonate system are considered potential key variables influencing for instance calcium carbonate precipitation in marine calcifiers such as coccolithophores, foraminifera, corals, mollusks and echinoderms. Unravelling the sensitivities of marine organisms and ecosystems to CO2 induced ocean acidification (OA) requires well-controlled experimental setups and accurate carbonate system manipulations. Here we describe and analyse the chemical changes involved in the two basic approaches for carbonate chemistry manipulation, i.e. changing DIC at constant total alkalinity (TA) and changing TA at constant DIC. Furthermore, we briefly introduce several methods to experimentally manipulate DIC and TA. Finally, we examine responses obtained with both approaches using published results for the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi. We conclude that under most experimental conditions in the context of ocean acidification DIC and TA manipulations yield similar changes in all parameters of the carbonate system, which implies direct comparability of data obtained with the two basic approaches for CO2 perturbation.

scholarly journals Implications of observed inconsistencies in carbonate chemistry measurements for ocean acidification studies

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 2401-2405 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. J. M. Hoppe ◽  
G. Langer ◽  
S. D. Rokitta ◽  
D. A. Wolf-Gladrow ◽  
B. Rost
Keyword(s):  
Ocean Acidification ◽  
High Pco2 ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Ecological Data ◽  
Carbonate Chemistry ◽  
Carbonate System ◽  
Saturation State ◽  
Severe Problem ◽  
Important Approach ◽  
Calcite Saturation

Abstract. The growing field of ocean acidification research is concerned with the investigation of organism responses to increasing pCO2 values. One important approach in this context is culture work using seawater with adjusted CO2 levels. As aqueous pCO2 is difficult to measure directly in small-scale experiments, it is generally calculated from two other measured parameters of the carbonate system (often AT, CT or pH). Unfortunately, the overall uncertainties of measured and subsequently calculated values are often unknown. Especially under high pCO2, this can become a severe problem with respect to the interpretation of physiological and ecological data. In the few datasets from ocean acidification research where all three of these parameters were measured, pCO2 values calculated from AT and CT are typically about 30% lower (i.e. ~300 μatm at a target pCO2 of 1000 μatm) than those calculated from AT and pH or CT and pH. This study presents and discusses these discrepancies as well as likely consequences for the ocean acidification community. Until this problem is solved, one has to consider that calculated parameters of the carbonate system (e.g. pCO2, calcite saturation state) may not be comparable between studies, and that this may have important implications for the interpretation of CO2 perturbation experiments.

scholarly journals Coral calcifying fluid pH is modulated by seawater carbonate chemistry not solely seawater pH

2017 ◽  
Vol 284 (1847) ◽  
pp. 20161669 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Comeau ◽  
E. Tambutté ◽  
R. C. Carpenter ◽  
P. J. Edmunds ◽  
N. R. Evensen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dissolved Inorganic Carbon ◽  
Reef Coral ◽  
Total Alkalinity ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Carbonate Chemistry ◽  
Stylophora Pistillata ◽  
Coral Calcification ◽  
Seawater Ph ◽  
Constant Ph ◽  
Seawater Carbonate Chemistry

Reef coral calcification depends on regulation of pH in the internal calcifying fluid (CF) in which the coral skeleton forms. However, little is known about calcifying fluid pH (pH CF ) regulation, despite its importance in determining the response of corals to ocean acidification. Here, we investigate pH CF in the coral Stylophora pistillata in seawater maintained at constant pH with manipulated carbonate chemistry to alter dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) concentration, and therefore total alkalinity (A T ). We also investigate the intracellular pH of calcifying cells, photosynthesis, respiration and calcification rates under the same conditions. Our results show that despite constant pH in the surrounding seawater, pH CF is sensitive to shifts in carbonate chemistry associated with changes in [DIC] and [A T ], revealing that seawater pH is not the sole driver of pH CF . Notably, when we synthesize our results with published data, we identify linear relationships of pH CF with the seawater [DIC]/[H + ] ratio, [A T ]/ [H + ] ratio and [ ]. Our findings contribute new insights into the mechanisms determining the sensitivity of coral calcification to changes in seawater carbonate chemistry, which are needed for predicting effects of environmental change on coral reefs and for robust interpretations of isotopic palaeoenvironmental records in coral skeletons.

scholarly journals Exploring local adaptation and the ocean acidification seascape – studies in the California Current Large Marine Ecosystem

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 11825-11856 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. E. Hofmann ◽  
T. G. Evans ◽  
M. W. Kelly ◽  
J. L. Padilla-Gamiño ◽  
C. A. Blanchette ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Change ◽  
Ocean Acidification ◽  
Marine Invertebrates ◽  
Marine Ecosystem ◽  
California Current ◽  
Biological Data ◽  
Carbonate Chemistry ◽  
Saturation State ◽  
The Future ◽  
Large Marine Ecosystem

Abstract. The California Current Large Marine Ecosystem (CCLME), a temperate marine region dominated by episodic upwelling, is predicted to experience rapid environmental change in the future due to ocean acidification. Aragonite saturation state within the California Current System is predicted to decrease in the future, with near-permanent undersaturation conditions expected by the year 2050. Thus, the CCLME is a critical region to study due to the rapid rate of environmental change that resident organisms will experience and because of the economic and societal value of this coastal region. Recent efforts by a research consortium – the Ocean Margin Ecosystems Group for Acidification Studies (OMEGAS) – has begun to characterize a portion of the CCLME; both describing the mosaic of pH in coastal waters and examining the responses of key calcification-dependent benthic marine organisms to natural variation in pH and to changes in carbonate chemistry that are expected in the coming decades. In this review, we present the OMEGAS strategy of co-locating sensors and oceanographic observations with biological studies on benthic marine invertebrates, specifically measurements of functional traits such as calcification-related processes and genetic variation in populations that are locally adapted to conditions in a particular region of the coast. Highlighted in this contribution are (1) the OMEGAS sensor network that spans the west coast of the US from central Oregon to southern California, (2) initial findings of the carbonate chemistry amongst the OMEGAS study sites, (3) an overview of the biological data that describes the acclimatization and the adaptation capacity of key benthic marine invertebrates within the CCLME.

scholarly journals Exploring local adaptation and the ocean acidification seascape – studies in the California Current Large Marine Ecosystem

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 1053-1064 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. E. Hofmann ◽  
T. G. Evans ◽  
M. W. Kelly ◽  
J. L. Padilla-Gamiño ◽  
C. A. Blanchette ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Change ◽  
Ocean Acidification ◽  
Marine Invertebrates ◽  
Marine Ecosystem ◽  
California Current ◽  
Biological Data ◽  
Carbonate Chemistry ◽  
Saturation State ◽  
The Future ◽  
Large Marine Ecosystem

Abstract. The California Current Large Marine Ecosystem (CCLME), a temperate marine region dominated by episodic upwelling, is predicted to experience rapid environmental change in the future due to ocean acidification. The aragonite saturation state within the California Current System is predicted to decrease in the future with near-permanent undersaturation conditions expected by the year 2050. Thus, the CCLME is a critical region to study due to the rapid rate of environmental change that resident organisms will experience and because of the economic and societal value of this coastal region. Recent efforts by a research consortium – the Ocean Margin Ecosystems Group for Acidification Studies (OMEGAS) – has begun to characterize a portion of the CCLME; both describing the spatial mosaic of pH in coastal waters and examining the responses of key calcification-dependent benthic marine organisms to natural variation in pH and to changes in carbonate chemistry that are expected in the coming decades. In this review, we present the OMEGAS strategy of co-locating sensors and oceanographic observations with biological studies on benthic marine invertebrates, specifically measurements of functional traits such as calcification-related processes and genetic variation in populations that are locally adapted to conditions in a particular region of the coast. Highlighted in this contribution are (1) the OMEGAS sensor network that spans the west coast of the US from central Oregon to southern California, (2) initial findings of the carbonate chemistry amongst the OMEGAS study sites, and (3) an overview of the biological data that describes the acclimatization and the adaptation capacity of key benthic marine invertebrates within the CCLME.

scholarly journals Variability of the carbonate chemistry in a shallow, seagrass-dominated ecosystem: implications for ocean acidification experiments

2016 ◽  
Vol 67 (2) ◽  
pp. 163 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberta C. Challener ◽  
Lisa L. Robbins ◽  
James B. McClintock
Keyword(s):  
Ocean Acidification ◽  
Daily Basis ◽  
Seagrass Beds ◽  
Seasonal Fluctuations ◽  
Carbonate Chemistry ◽  
Saturation State ◽  
Aragonite Saturation ◽  
Coastal Species ◽  
Coastal Acidification ◽  
Ocean Observations

Open ocean observations have shown that increasing levels of anthropogenically derived atmospheric CO2 are causing acidification of the world’s oceans. Yet little is known about coastal acidification and studies are just beginning to characterise the carbonate chemistry of shallow, nearshore zones where many ecologically and economically important organisms occur. We characterised the carbonate chemistry of seawater within an area dominated by seagrass beds (Saint Joseph Bay, Florida) to determine the extent of variation in pH and pCO2 over monthly and daily timescales. Distinct diel and seasonal fluctuations were observed at daily and monthly timescales respectively, indicating the influence of photosynthetic and respiratory processes on the local carbonate chemistry. Over the course of a year, the range in monthly values of pH (7.36–8.28), aragonite saturation state (0.65–5.63), and calculated pCO2 (195–2537μatm) were significant. When sampled on a daily basis the range in pH (7.70–8.06), aragonite saturation state (1.86–3.85), and calculated pCO2 (379–1019μatm) also exhibited significant range and indicated variation between timescales. The results of this study have significant implications for the design of ocean acidification experiments where nearshore species are utilised and indicate that coastal species are experiencing far greater fluctuations in carbonate chemistry than previously thought.

scholarly journals Measuring gross and net calcification of a reef coral under ocean acidification conditions: methodological considerations

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 8241-8272 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Cohen ◽  
M. Fine
Keyword(s):  
Ocean Acidification ◽  
Reef Coral ◽  
Total Alkalinity ◽  
Carbonate Chemistry ◽  
Stylophora Pistillata ◽  
Realistic Assessment ◽  
Ph Conditions ◽  
Low Sensitivity ◽  
Methodological Considerations ◽  
Projected Changes

Abstract. Ongoing ocean acidification (OA) is rapidly altering carbonate chemistry in the oceans. The projected changes will likely have deleterious consequences for coral reefs by negatively affecting their growth. Nonetheless, diverse responses of reef-building corals calcification to OA hinder our ability to decipher reef susceptibility to elevated pCO2. Some of the inconsistencies between studies originate in measuring net calcification (NC), which does not always consider the proportions of the "real" (gross) calcification (GC) and gross dissolution in the observed response. Here we show that microcolonies of Stylophora pistillata (entirely covered by tissue), incubated under normal (8.2) and reduced (7.6) pH conditions for 16 months, survived and added new skeletal CaCO3, despite low (1.25) Ωarg conditions. Moreover, corals maintained their NC and GC rates under reduced (7.6) pH conditions and displayed positive NC rates at the low-end (7.3) pH treatment while bare coral skeleton underwent marked dissolution. Our findings suggest that S. pistillata may fall into the "low sensitivity" group with respect to OA and that their overlying tissue may be a key determinant in setting their tolerance to reduced pH by limiting dissolution and allowing them to calcify. This study is the first to measure GC and NC rates for a tropical scleractinian corals under OA conditions. We provide a detailed, realistic assessment of the problematic nature of previously accepted methods for measuring calcification (total alkalinity and 45Ca).

scholarly journals Historical reconstruction of ocean acidification in the Australian region

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 8265-8297 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Lenton ◽  
B. Tilbrook ◽  
R. J. Matear ◽  
T. Sasse ◽  
Y. Nojiri
Keyword(s):  
Ocean Acidification ◽  
Dominant Mode ◽  
Ocean Dynamics ◽  
Atmospheric Co2 ◽  
Reference Station ◽  
Historical Reconstruction ◽  
Carbonate Chemistry ◽  
Saturation State ◽  
Aragonite Saturation ◽  
Concentration Changes

Abstract. The increase in atmospheric greenhouse gases over the last 200 years has caused an increase in ocean acidity levels. Documenting how the ocean has changed is critical for assessing how these changes could impact marine ecosystems and for the management of marine resources. We use present day ocean carbon observations from shelf and offshore waters around Australia, combined with neural network mapping of CO2, to estimate the current seasonal and regional distributions of carbonate chemistry (pH and aragonite saturation state). These predicted changes in carbonate chemistry are combined with atmospheric CO2 concentration changes since to reconstruct pH and aragonite saturation state changes over the last 140 years (1870–2013). The comparison with data collected at Integrated Marine Observing System National Reference Station sites located on the shelf around Australia shows both the mean state and seasonality for the present day is well represented by our reconstruction, with the exception of sites such as the Great Barrier Reef. Our reconstruction predicts that since 1870 an average decrease in aragonite saturation state of 0.48 and of 0.09 in pH has occurred in response to increasing oceanic uptake of atmospheric CO2. Our reconstruction shows that seasonality is the dominant mode of variability, with only small interannual variability present. Large seasonal variability in pH and aragonite saturation state occur in Southwestern Australia driven by ocean dynamics (mixing) and in the Tasman Sea by seasonal warming (in the case of aragonite saturation state). The seasonal and historical changes in aragonite saturation state and pH have different spatial patterns and suggest that the biological responses to ocean acidification are likely to be non-uniform depending on the relative sensitivity of organisms to shifts in pH and saturation state. This new historical reconstruction provides an important to link to biological observations to help elucidate the consequences of ocean acidification.

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