Highlights
- Marine microalgae exhibit trade-offs along with their adaptations to OA and/or OW.
- Such trade-offs are reflected in declining microalgal performance.
- These trade-offs alter their responses to heavy metals, UVR and high light.
Abstract
Trade-offs play vital roles in evolutionary theory, linking organism performance to changing environments in the context of global change. Marine microalgae, as one of the most important groups of primary producers in the biosphere, exhibit significant trade-offs across multiple traits in response to environmental changes, such as elevated CO2 (and consequent ocean acidification) and warming. In this review, we synthesize recent findings on the trade-offs associated with both short-term phenotypic acclimation and long-term genotypic adaptation of marine microalgae. Specifically, we discuss distinct classes of trade-offs (i.e., allocation trade-offs, acquisition trade-offs and specialist-generalist trade-offs) between multiple traits, such as growth rate, photosynthesis, nutrient acquisition, and stress tolerance. We also explored the underlying mechanisms driving these trade-offs. Finally, we discuss the broader ecological consequences of these trade-offs, such as potential shifts in species composition and ecosystem functions, and outline key research directions to better predict marine ecosystem responses to future global change scenarios.
Liang X., Raven J. A., Beardall J., Overmans S., Xia J. & Jin P., 2025. The trade-offs associated with the adaptions of marine microalgae to high CO2 and warming. Marine Environmental Research 204: 106853. doi: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2024.106853. Article (subscription required).
