scholarly journals High nitrate to phosphorus regime attenuates negative effects of rising <i>p</i>CO<sub>2</sub> on total population carbon accumulation

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 1195-1203 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Matthiessen ◽  
S. L. Eggers ◽  
S. A. Krug

Abstract. The ongoing rise in atmospheric pCO2 and consequent increase in ocean acidification have direct effects on marine calcifying phytoplankton, which potentially alters carbon export. To date it remains unclear, firstly, how nutrient regime, in particular by coccolithophores preferred phosphate limitation, interacts with pCO2 on particulate carbon accumulation; secondly, how direct physiological responses on the cellular level translate into total population response. In this study, cultures of Emiliania huxleyi were full-factorially exposed to two different N:P regimes and three different pCO2 levels. Cellular biovolume and PIC and POC content significantly declined in response to pCO2 in both nutrient regimes. Cellular PON content significantly increased in the Redfield treatment and decreased in the high N:P regime. Cell abundance significantly declined in the Redfield and remained constant in the high N:P regime. We hypothesise that in the high N:P regime severe phosphorous limitation could be compensated either by reduced inorganic phosphorous demand and/or by enzymatic uptake of organic phosphorous. In the Redfield regime we suggest that enzymatic phosphorous uptake to supplement enhanced phosphorous demand with pCO2 was not possible and thus cell abundance declined. These hypothesised different physiological responses of E. huxleyi among the nutrient regimes significantly altered population carrying capacities along the pCO2 gradient. This ultimately led to the attenuated total population response in POC and PIC content and biovolume to increased pCO2 in the high N:P regime. Our results point to the fact that the physiological (i.e. cellular) PIC and POC response to ocean acidification cannot be linearly extrapolated to total population response and thus carbon export. It is therefore necessary to consider both effects of nutrient limitation on cell physiology and their consequences for population size when predicting the influence of coccolithophores on atmospheric pCO2 feedback and their function in carbon export mechanisms.

2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 6833-6857
Author(s):  
S. A. Krug ◽  
S. L. Eggers ◽  
B. Matthiessen

Abstract. The ongoing rise in atmospheric pCO2 and the consequent increase in ocean acidification have direct effects on marine calcifying phytoplankton which potentially translates into altered carbon export. To date it remains unclear first, how nutrient ratio, in particular from coccolithophores preferred phosphate limitation, interacts with pCO2 on particulate carbon accumulation. Second, how direct physiological responses on the cellular level translate into a net population response. In this study cultures of Emiliania huxleyi were full-factorially exposed to two different N:P ratios (Redfield and high N:P) and three different pCO2 levels. Effects on net population particulate inorganic and organic carbon (PIC, POC) were measured after E. huxleyi cultures reached stationary phase. Thereby cell sizes and total cell abundance were taken into account. Corresponding to literature results show a significant negative cellular PIC and POC response which, however, was strongest under high N:P ratio. In contrast, net population PIC and POC accumulation was significantly attenuated under high N:P ratio. We suggest that less cellular nutrient accumulation allowed for higher cell abundances which compensated for the strong negative cellular PIC and POC response to pCO2 on the population level. Moreover, the design of this study also allowed following natural alteration of carbon chemistry through changing DIC and alkalinity. Our results suggest that at high initial pCO2 natural alteration of pCO2 during the experimental runtime was regulated by algal biomass. In contrast, at low initial pCO2 the PIC/POC ratio was responsible for changes in pCO2. Our results point to the fact that the physiological (i.e. cellular) PIC and POC response to ocean acidification cannot be linearly extrapolated to total population response and thus carbon export. It is therefore recommended to consider effects of nutrient limitation on cell physiology and translate these to net population carbon accumulation when predicting the influence of coccolithophores on both, the atmospheric pCO2 feedback and their function in carbon export mechanisms.


Harmful Algae ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 87 ◽  
pp. 101621 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hong Wang ◽  
Xiaoqin Niu ◽  
Xinqian Feng ◽  
Rodrigo J. Gonçalves ◽  
Wanchun Guan

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lei Jiang ◽  
Ya-Juan Guo ◽  
Fang Zhang ◽  
Yu-Yang Zhang ◽  
Laurence John McCook ◽  
...  

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 1671-1682 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Meyer ◽  
U. Riebesell

Abstract. Concerning their sensitivity to ocean acidification, coccolithophores, a group of calcifying single-celled phytoplankton, are one of the best-studied groups of marine organisms. However, in spite of the large number of studies investigating coccolithophore physiological responses to ocean acidification, uncertainties still remain due to variable and partly contradictory results. In the present study we have used all existing data in a meta-analysis to estimate the effect size of future pCO2 changes on the rates of calcification and photosynthesis and the ratio of particulate inorganic to organic carbon (PIC / POC) in different coccolithophore species. Our results indicate that ocean acidification has a negative effect on calcification and the cellular PIC / POC ratio in the two most abundant coccolithophore species: Emiliania huxleyi and Gephyrocapsa oceanica. In contrast, the more heavily calcified species Coccolithus braarudii did not show a distinct response when exposed to elevated pCO2/reduced pH. Photosynthesis in Gephyrocapsa oceanica was positively affected by high CO2, while no effect was observed for the other coccolithophore species. There was no indication that the method of carbonate chemistry manipulation was responsible for the inconsistent results regarding observed responses in calcification and the PIC / POC ratio. The perturbation method, however, appears to affect photosynthesis, as responses varied significantly between total alkalinity (TA) and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) manipulations. These results emphasize that coccolithophore species respond differently to ocean acidification, both in terms of calcification and photosynthesis. Where negative effects occur, they become evident at CO2 levels in the range projected for this century in the case of unabated CO2 emissions. As the data sets used in this meta-analysis do not account for adaptive responses, ecological fitness and ecosystem interactions, the question remains as to how these physiological responses play out in the natural environment.


2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. 11127-11157 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. De Bodt ◽  
N. Van Oostende ◽  
J. Harlay ◽  
K. Sabbe ◽  
L. Chou

Abstract. The impact of ocean acidification and increased water temperature on marine ecosystems, in particular those involving calcifying organisms, has been gradually recognised. We examined the individual and combined effects of increased pCO2 (180 ppm V CO2, 380 ppm V CO2 and 750 ppm V CO2 corresponding to past, present and future CO2 conditions, respectively) and temperature (13°C and 18°C) during the calcification phase of the coccolithophore E. huxleyi using batch culture experiments. We showed that the cell abundance-normalized particulate organic carbon concentration (POC) increased from the present to the future CO2 treatments. A significant effect of pCO2 and of temperature on calcification was found, manifesting itself in a lower cell abundance-normalized particulate inorganic carbon (PIC) content as well as a lower PIC:POC ratio at future CO2 levels and at 18°C. Coccosphere-sized particles showed a size reduction trend with both increasing temperature and CO2 concentration. The influence of the different treatments on coccolith morphology was studied by categorizing SEM coccolith micrographs. The number of well-formed coccoliths decreased with increasing pCO2 while temperature did not have a significant impact on coccolith morphology. No interacting effect of pCO2 and temperature was observed on calcite production, coccolith morphology or on coccosphere size. Finally, our results suggest that ocean acidification might have a larger adverse impact on coccolithophorid calcification than surface water warming.


2007 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 2407-2440 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Moutin ◽  
D. M. Karl ◽  
S. Duhamel ◽  
P. Rimmelin ◽  
P. Raimbault ◽  
...  

Abstract. Due to the low atmospheric input of phosphate into the open ocean, it is one of the key nutrients that could ultimately control primary production and carbon export into the deep ocean. The observed trend over the last 20 years, has shown a decrease in the dissolved inorganic phosphate (DIP) pool in the North Pacific gyre, which has been correlated to the increase in di-nitrogen (N2) fixation rates. Following a NW-SE transect, in the Southeast Pacific during the early austral summer (BIOSOPE cruise), we present data on DIP, dissolved organic phosphate (DOP), and particulate phosphate (PP) pools and DIP turnover times (TDIP) along with N2 fixation rates. We observed a decrease in DIP concentration from the edges to the centre of the gyre. Nevertheless the DIP concentrations remained above 100 nmol L−1 and TDIP were more than a month in the centre of the gyre: DIP availability remained largely above the level required for phosphate limitation. This contrasts with recent observations in the western Pacific Ocean at the same latitude (DIAPALIS cruises) where lower DIP concentrations (<20 nmol L−1) and TDIP<50 h were measured during the summer season. During the BIOSOPE cruise, N2 fixation rates were higher within the cold water upwelling near the Chilean coast. This observation contrasts with recently obtained model output for N2 fixation distribution in the South Pacific area and emphasises the importance of studying the main factors controlling this process. The South Pacific gyre can be considered a High P Low Chlorophyll (HPLC) oligotrophic area, which could potentially support high N2 fixation rates, and possibly carbon dioxide sequestration, if the primary ecophysiological controls, temperature and/or iron availability, were alleviated.


2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (23) ◽  
pp. 7025-7046 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Guyennon ◽  
M. Baklouti ◽  
F. Diaz ◽  
J. Palmieri ◽  
J. Beuvier ◽  
...  

Abstract. The Mediterranean Sea is one of the most oligotrophic regions of the oceans, and nutrients have been shown to limit both phytoplankton and bacterial activities, resulting in a potential major role of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) export in the biological pump. Strong DOC accumulation in surface waters is already well documented, though measurements of DOC stocks and export flux are still sparse and associated with major uncertainties. This study provides the first basin-scale overview and analysis of organic carbon stocks and export fluxes in the Mediterranean Sea through a modeling approach based on a coupled model combining a mechanistic biogeochemical model (Eco3M-MED) and a high-resolution (eddy-resolving) hydrodynamic simulation (NEMO-MED12). The model is shown to reproduce the main spatial and seasonal biogeochemical characteristics of the Mediterranean Sea. Model estimations of carbon export are also of the same order of magnitude as estimations from in situ observations, and their respective spatial patterns are mutually consistent. Strong differences between the western and eastern basins are evidenced by the model for organic carbon export. Though less oligotrophic than the eastern basin, the western basin only supports 39 % of organic carbon (particulate and dissolved) export. Another major result is that except for the Alboran Sea, the DOC contribution to organic carbon export is higher than that of particulate organic carbon (POC) throughout the Mediterranean Sea, especially in the eastern basin. This paper also investigates the seasonality of DOC and POC exports as well as the differences in the processes involved in DOC and POC exports in light of intracellular quotas. Finally, according to the model, strong phosphate limitation of both bacteria and phytoplankton growth is one of the main drivers of DOC accumulation and therefore of export.


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