Ocean Acidification Impacts on Sea-Surface Biology, Biogeochemistry and Climate
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Essex
Department Name: Biological Sciences
Abstract
See Lead Proposal
Organisations
Publications
Bretherton L
(2019)
Day length as a key factor moderating the response of coccolithophore growth to elevated p CO 2
in Limnology and Oceanography
Brodie J
(2014)
The future of the northeast Atlantic benthic flora in a high CO2 world.
in Ecology and evolution
Poulton A
(2014)
Coccolithophores on the north-west European shelf: calcification rates and environmental controls
in Biogeosciences
Richier S
(2018)
Geographical CO2 sensitivity of phytoplankton correlates with ocean buffer capacity.
in Global change biology
Wu Y
(2014)
Ocean acidification enhances the growth rate of larger diatoms
in Limnology and Oceanography
| Description | In addressing our overall goal "to examine how OA differentially affects key physiological processes that moderate microalgal productivity and growth between taxa" we have produced substantial achievements and outcomes far beyond our originally proposed expectation: (1) Laboratory experiments demonstrated for the first time that daylength significantly moderates how coccolithophores respond to ocean acidification; specifically, coccolithophores show the greets ocean acidification induced reductions to growth and calcification when under a moderate day length as opposed to constant light regime. This has significant implications as to seasonal and latitudinal responses to ocean acidification by this important phytoplankton group. (2) Ship board bioassay experiments demonstrated for the first time that small size fractions within natural phytoplankton communities are preferentially impacted by rapid reductions in pH enabling smaller size fractions to bloom. (3) Laboratory experiments demonstrated that larger diatoms are preferentially stimulated by elevated pCO2 (ocean acidification) scenarios. |
| Exploitation Route | Our findings are particularly relevant to biogeochemical modellers that use cell size as a key trait to understand how environmental change influences nutrient cycling in the oceans. |
| Sectors | Environment |
| Description | As yet our findings have not been used but we are confident they are highly relevant to the wider research community |
| First Year Of Impact | 2013 |
| Sector | Environment |
| Impact Types | Societal |