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Responses of three tropical seagrass species to CO2 enrichment

Published 14 May 2015 Science Closed
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Increased atmospheric carbon dioxide leads to ocean acidification and carbon dioxide (CO2) enrichment of seawater. Given the important ecological functions of seagrass meadows, understanding their responses to CO2 will be critical for the management of coastal ecosystems. This study examined the physiological responses of three tropical seagrasses to a range of seawater pCO2 levels in a laboratory. Cymodocea serrulata, Halodule uninervis and Thalassia hemprichii were exposed to four different pCO2 treatments (442–1204 μatm) for 2 weeks, approximating the range of end-of-century emission scenarios. Photosynthetic responses were quantified using optode-based oxygen flux measurements. Across all three species, net productivity and energetic surplus (P G:R) significantly increased with a rise in pCO2 (linear models, P < 0.05). Photosynthesis–irradiance curve-derived photosynthetic parameters—maximum photosynthetic rates (P max) and efficiency (α)—also increased as pCO2 increased (linear models, P < 0.05). The response for productivity measures was similar across species, i.e. similar slopes in linear models. A decrease in compensation light requirement (E c) with increasing pCO2 was evident in C. serrulata and H. uninervis, but not in T. hemprichii. Despite higher productivity with pCO2 enrichment, leaf growth rates in C. serrulata did not increase, while those in H. uninervis and T. hemprichii significantly increased with increasing pCO2 levels. While seagrasses can be carbon-limited and productivity can respond positively to CO2 enrichment, varying carbon allocation strategies amongst species suggest differential growth response between species. Thus, future increase in seawater CO2 concentration may lead to an overall increase in seagrass biomass and productivity, as well as community changes in seagrass meadows.

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Response of key stress-related genes of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica in the vicinity of submarine volcanic vents

Published 2 April 2015 Science Closed
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Submarine volcanic vents are being used as natural laboratories to assess the effects of CO2 on marine organisms and communities, as this gas is the main component of emissions. Seagrasses should positively react to increased dissolved carbon, but in vicinity of volcanic vents there may be toxic substances, that can have indirect effects on seagrasses. Here we analysed the expression of 35 stress-related genes in the Mediterranean keystone seagrass species P. oceanica in the vicinity of submerged volcanic vents located in the Islands of Ischia and Panarea, Italy, and compared them with those from control sites away from the influence of vents. Reverse Transcription-Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR) was used to characterize the expression levels of genes.

Fifty one per cent of genes analysed showed significant expression changes. Metal detoxification genes were mostly down-regulated in relation to controls both in Ischia and Panarea locations, indicating that P. oceanica does not increase the synthesis of heavy metal detoxification proteins in response to the environmental conditions present at the two vents. The expression levels of genes involved in free radical detoxification indicate that, in contrast with Ischia, P. oceanica at the Panarea vent face stressors that result in the production of reactive oxygen species triggering antioxidant responses. In addition, heat shock proteins were also activated at Panarea and not at Ischia.

Overall, our study reveals that P. oceanica is generally under higher stress in the vicinity of the vents at Panarea than at Ischia, possibly resulting from environmental and evolutionary differences existing between the two volcanic sites. This is the first study analysing gene responses in marine plants living near natural CO2 vents and our results call for a careful consideration of factors, other than CO2 and acidification, that can cause stress to seagrasses and other organisms near volcanic vents.

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Seagrass biofilm communities at a naturally CO2-rich vent

Published 9 March 2015 Science Closed
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Seagrass meadows are a crucial component of tropical marine reef ecosystems. Seagrass plants are colonized by a multitude of epiphytic organisms that contribute to broadening the ecological role of seagrasses. To better understand how environmental changes like ocean acidification might affect epiphytic assemblages, the microbial community composition of the epiphytic biofilm of Enhalus acroides was investigated at a natural CO2 vent in Papua New Guinea using molecular fingerprinting and next generation sequencing of 16S and 18S rRNA genes. Both bacterial and eukaryotic epiphytes formed distinct communities at the CO2-impacted site compared to the control site. This site-related CO2 effect was also visible in the succession pattern of microbial epiphytes. We further found an increased abundance of bacterial types associated with coral diseases at the CO2-impacted site (Fusobacteria, Thalassomonas) whereas eukaryotes such as certain crustose coralline algae commonly related to healthy reefs were less diverse. These trends in the epiphytic community of E. acroides suggest a potential role of seagrasses as vectors of coral pathogens and may support previous predictions of a decrease in reef health and prevalence of diseases under future ocean acidification scenarios.

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Community-level effects of rapid experimental warming and consumer loss outweigh effects of rapid ocean acidification

Published 11 February 2015 Science Closed
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Climate change and consumer loss simultaneously affect marine ecosystems, but we have limited understanding of the relative importance of these factors and the interactions between them. Moreover, effects of environmental change are mediated by organism traits or life histories, which determine their sensitivity. Yet, trait-based analyses have rarely been used to understand the effects of climate change, especially in the marine environment. Here we used a five-week mesocosm experiment to assess the single and interactive effects of 1) rapid ocean warming, 2) rapid ocean acidification, and 3) simulated consumer loss, on the diversity and composition of macrofauna communities in eelgrass Zostera marina beds. Experimental warming (ambient versus + 3.2°C) and loss of a key consumer (the omnivorous crustacean, Gammarus locusta) both increased macrofauna richness and abundance, and altered overall species trait distributions and life history composition. Warming and consumer-loss favored poorly defended epifaunal crustaceans (tube-building amphipods), and species that brood their offspring. We suggest these organisms were favored because warming and consumer-loss caused increased metabolism, food supply and, potentially, settling substrate, and lowered predation pressure from the omnivorous G. locusta. Importantly, we found no single, or interactive, effects of the rapid ocean acidification (ambient versus −0.35 pH units). We suggest this result reflects natural variability in the native habitat and, potentially, the short duration of the experiment: organisms in these communities routinely experience rapid diurnal pH fluctuations that exceed the mean ocean acidification predicted for the coming century (and used in our experiments). In summary, our study indicates that macrofauna in shallow vegetated ecosystems will be significantly more affected by rapid warming and consumer diversity loss than by rapid ocean acidification.

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Impacts of groundwater discharge at Myora Springs (North Stradbroke Island, Australia) on the phenolic metabolism of eelgrass, Zostera muelleri, and grazing by the juvenile rabbitfish, Siganus fuscescens

Published 3 February 2015 Science Closed
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Myora Springs is one of many groundwater discharge sites on North Stradbroke Island (Queensland, Australia). Here spring waters emerge from wetland forests to join Moreton Bay, mixing with seawater over seagrass meadows dominated by eelgrass, Zostera muelleri. We sought to determine how low pH / high CO2 conditions near the spring affect these plants and their interactions with the black rabbitfish (Siganus fuscescens), a co-occurring grazer. In paired-choice feeding trials S. fuscescens preferentially consumed Z. muelleri shoots collected nearest to Myora Springs. Proximity to the spring did not significantly alter the carbon and nitrogen contents of seagrass tissues but did result in the extraordinary loss of soluble phenolics, including Folin-reactive phenolics, condensed tannins, and phenolic acids by ≥87%. Conversely, seagrass lignin contents were, in this and related experiments, unaffected or increased, suggesting a shift in secondary metabolism away from the production of soluble, but not insoluble, (poly)phenolics. We suggest that groundwater discharge sites such as Myora Springs, and other sites characterized by low pH, are likely to be popular feeding grounds for seagrass grazers seeking to reduce their exposure to soluble phenolics.

Continue reading ‘Impacts of groundwater discharge at Myora Springs (North Stradbroke Island, Australia) on the phenolic metabolism of eelgrass, Zostera muelleri, and grazing by the juvenile rabbitfish, Siganus fuscescens’

CO2 and nutrient-driven changes across multiple levels of organization in Zostera noltii ecosystems (update)

Published 18 December 2014 Science Closed
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Increasing evidence emphasizes that the effects of human impacts on ecosystems must be investigated using designs that incorporate the responses across levels of biological organization as well as the effects of multiple stressors. Here we implemented a mesocosm experiment to investigate how the individual and interactive effects of CO2 enrichment and eutrophication scale-up from changes in primary producers at the individual (biochemistry) or population level (production, reproduction, and/or abundance) to higher levels of community (macroalgae abundance, herbivory, and global metabolism), and ecosystem organization (detritus release and carbon sink capacity). The responses of Zostera noltii seagrass meadows growing in low- and high-nutrient field conditions were compared. In both meadows, the expected CO2 benefits on Z. noltii leaf production were suppressed by epiphyte overgrowth, with no direct CO2 effect on plant biochemistry or population-level traits. Multi-level meadow response to nutrients was faster and stronger than to CO2. Nutrient enrichment promoted the nutritional quality of Z. noltii (high N, low C : N and phenolics), the growth of epiphytic pennate diatoms and purple bacteria, and shoot mortality. In the low-nutrient meadow, individual effects of CO2 and nutrients separately resulted in reduced carbon storage in the sediment, probably due to enhanced microbial degradation of more labile organic matter. These changes, however, had no effect on herbivory or on community metabolism. Interestingly, individual effects of CO2 or nutrient addition on epiphytes, shoot mortality, and carbon storage were attenuated when nutrients and CO2 acted simultaneously. This suggests CO2-induced benefits on eutrophic meadows. In the high-nutrient meadow, a striking shoot decline caused by amphipod overgrazing masked the response to CO2 and nutrient additions. Our results reveal that under future scenarios of CO2, the responses of seagrass ecosystems will be complex and context-dependent, being mediated by epiphyte overgrowth rather than by direct effects on plant biochemistry. Overall, we found that the responses of seagrass meadows to individual and interactive effects of CO2 and nutrient enrichment varied depending on interactions among species and connections between organization levels.

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Indirect effects may buffer negative responses of seagrass invertebrate communities to ocean acidification

Published 11 August 2014 Science Closed
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Ocean acidification has been shown to have highly variable effects, with many negative and some positive responses from individual species, while community level effects are largely unknown. Although an overall loss of biodiversity is expected, predicting the effects of ocean acidification on whole assemblages can be problematic as both direct and indirect effects of acidification must be taken into consideration. This study demonstrates how invertebrate assemblages associated with the highly productive seagrass, Posidonia oceanica, respond to natural acidification that occurs at CO2 vents off the coast of Italy. We examined seasonal differences in invertebrate community structure between two distinct pH zones: control (pH 8.1) and acidified (pH 7.8) and show that many groups of invertebrate taxa were robust to acidification effects. Differences in community structure appeared to be driven by the indirect effects of acidification, such as changes to canopy structure and food availability, rather than physiological intolerance to low pH. The number of invertebrates collected in acidified stations was almost double that of control stations during the study and many heavily calcified species appeared to thrive. These results highlight how positive indirect effects may buffer the ecological impacts of acidification, and provide evidence that this highly productive, nearshore habitat may provide refuge to its associated communities from future ocean acidification.

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The effect of ocean acidification on carbon storage and sequestration in seagrass beds; a global and UK context

Published 6 August 2014 Science Closed
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Ocean acidification will have many negative consequences for marine organisms and ecosystems, leading to a decline in many ecosystem services provided by the marine environment. This study reviews the effect of ocean acidification (OA) on seagrasses, assessing how this may affect their capacity to sequester carbon in the future and providing an economic valuation of these changes. If ocean acidification leads to a significant increase in above- and below-ground biomass, the capacity of seagrass to sequester carbon will be significantly increased. The associated value of this increase in sequestration capacity is approximately £500 and 600 billion globally between 2010 and 2100. A proportionally similar increase in carbon sequestration value was found for the UK. This study highlights one of the few positive stories for ocean acidification and underlines that sustainable management of seagrasses is critical to avoid their continued degradation and loss of carbon sequestration capacity.

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Fate of calcifying tropical symbiont-bearing large benthic foraminifera: living sands in a changing ocean

Published 3 August 2014 Science Closed
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Concerns regarding the response of calcifiers in future warmer and more acidic oceans have been raised in many studies. Tropical large benthic foraminifera (LBF) are important carbonate producers that reside in coral reefs worldwide. Similar to corals, these organisms live in symbioses with microalgae, which promote high calcification rates. The contribution of LBFs to reef sediments is under threat due to climate change. In this review, we synthesize research conducted on the effects of increased temperature and acidification on these organisms, and assess the potential impacts on reef carbonate production. A meta-analysis of all available experimental data (18 publications, 84 individual experiments) on the effects of ocean warming and acidification on LBF holobiont health was performed using log-transformed response ratios (LnRR) comparing present-day ambient and projected future scenarios. For the latter, we used Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5 from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which projects changes of +4 °C and −0.3 pH units by the year 2100. Overall, a general negative trend on holobiont growth was observed across most species of LBFs in response to both stressors. The only exception was the hyaline species (porous CaCO3 test composed of interlocking microcrystals) that have diatom symbionts. Species in this group appear resilient to future ocean acidification scenarios. Differences in the response of LBF species to warming and acidifying oceans may be due to (1) differences in the carbonate species’ use in formation of the CaCO3 skeleton (CO2 vs. CO32-), (2) varied responses of the symbiont types (diatom, dinoflagellate, rhodophyte) to stressors, or (3) the degree of nutritional dependence of the host to its symbiont. We also summarize current estimates of carbonate production by LBFs to provide a context of their contribution to reefs. Finally, we outline major gaps in knowledge in addressing the potential for LBF species persistence in a changing ocean.

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The future of the northeast Atlantic benthic flora in a high CO2 world

Published 24 June 2014 Science Closed
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Seaweed and seagrass communities in the northeast Atlantic have been profoundly impacted by humans, and the rate of change is accelerating rapidly due to runaway CO2 emissions and mounting pressures on coastlines associated with human population growth and increased consumption of finite resources. Here, we predict how rapid warming and acidification are likely to affect benthic flora and coastal ecosystems of the northeast Atlantic in this century, based on global evidence from the literature as interpreted by the collective knowledge of the authorship. We predict that warming will kill off kelp forests in the south and that ocean acidification will remove maerl habitat in the north. Seagrasses will proliferate, and associated epiphytes switch from calcified algae to diatoms and filamentous species. Invasive species will thrive in niches liberated by loss of native species and spread via exponential development of artificial marine structures. Combined impacts of seawater warming, ocean acidification, and increased storminess may replace structurally diverse seaweed canopies, with associated calcified and noncalcified flora, with simple habitats dominated by noncalcified, turf-forming seaweeds.

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Seagrass ecosystem response to long-term high CO2 in a Mediterranean volcanic vent

Published 23 May 2014 Science Closed
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We examined the long-term effect of naturally acidified water on a Cymodocea nodosa meadow growing at a shallow volcanic CO2 vent in Vulcano Island (Italy). Seagrass and adjacent unvegetated habitats growing at a low pH station (pH = 7.65 ± 0.02) were compared with corresponding habitats at a control station (pH = 8.01 ± 0.01). Density and biomass showed a clear decreasing trend at the low pH station and the below- to above-ground biomass ratio was more than 10 times lower compared to the control. C content and δ13C of leaves and epiphytes were significantly lower at the low pH station. Photosynthetic activity of C. nodosa was stimulated by low pH as seen by the significant increase in Chla content of leaves, maximum electron transport rate and compensation irradiance. Seagrass community metabolism was intense at the low pH station, with significantly higher net community production, respiration and gross primary production than the control community, whereas metabolism of the unvegetated community did not differ between stations. Productivity was promoted by the low pH, but this was not translated into biomass, probably due to nutrient limitation, grazing or poor environmental conditions. The results indicate that seagrass response in naturally acidified conditions is dependable upon species and geochemical characteristics of the site and highlight the need for a better understanding of complex interactions in these environments.

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CO2 and nutrient-driven changes across multiple levels of organization in Zostera noltii ecosystems

Published 4 April 2014 Science Closed
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Increasing evidence emphasizes that the effects of human impacts on ecosystems must be investigated using designs that incorporate the responses across levels of biological organization as well as the effects of multiple stressors. Here we implemented a mesocosm experiment to investigate how the effects of CO2 enrichment and its interaction with eutrophication, scale-up from changes in primary producers at the individual- (biochemistry) or population-level (production, reproduction, and/or abundance) to higher levels of community (macroalgae abundance, herbivory, and global metabolism) and ecosystem organization (detritus release and carbon sink capacity). The responses of Zostera noltii seagrass meadows growing in low- and high- nutrient field conditions were compared. In both meadows, the effect of elevated CO2 levels was mediated by epiphyte proliferation (mostly the cyanobacterium Microcoleus spp.), but not through changes in plant biochemistry or population-level traits. In the low-nutrient meadow, epiphyte proliferation suppressed the CO2 benefits on Z. noltii leaf production and led to increased detritus and decreased organic matter in sediment. Faster and stronger responses to nutrients than to CO2 were observed. Nutrient addition enhanced the nutritional quality of Z. noltii (high N, low C : N and phenolics) and the loss of leaves and shoots, while promoted the proliferation of pennate diatoms and purple bacteria. These changes led to a reduced sediment organic matter, but had no significant effects on herbivory nor on community metabolism. Interestingly, the interaction with CO2 attenuated eutrophication effects. In the high-nutrient meadow, a striking shoot decline caused by amphipod overgrazing was observed, with no response to CO2 and nutrient additions. Our results reveal that under future scenarios of CO2, the responses of seagrass ecosystems will be complex, being mediated by epiphyte proliferation rather than by effects on plant biochemistry. The multi-level responses of the system to nutrients overwhelmed those to CO2 enrichment, but the interaction between stressors reduced the effects of eutrophication. Both, CO2 and nutrient enrichments can reduce the carbon sink capacity of seagrass meadows.

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Settlement pattern of Posidonia oceanica epibionts along a gradient of ocean acidification: an approach with mimics

Published 24 March 2014 Science Closed
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Effects of ocean acidification (OA on the colonization/settlement pattern of the epibiont community of the leaves and rhizomesof the Mediterranean seagrass,Posidoniaoceanica, have been studied at volcanic CO2vents off Ischia (Italy), using “mimics”as artificial substrates. The experiments were conducted in shallowPosidoniastands (2-3 m depth), in three stations on the northand three on the south sides of the study area, distributed along a pH gradient. At each station, 4 rhizome mimics and 6 artificialleaves were collected every three months (Sept 2009-Sept 2010). The epibionts on both leaf and rhizome mimics showed clearchanges along the pH gradient; coralline algae and calcareous invertebrates (bryozoans, serpulid polychaetes and barnacles) weredominant at control stations but progressively disappeared at the most acidified stations. In these extremely low pH sites theassemblage was dominated by filamentous algae and non calcareous taxa such as hydroids and tunicates. Settlement pattern onthe artificial leaves and rhizome mimics over time showed a consistent distribution pattern along the pH gradient and highlightedthe peak of recruitment of the various organisms in different periods according to their life history.Posidoniamimics at theacidified station showed a poor and very simplified assemblage where calcifying epibionts seemed less competitive for space. Thisprofound difference in epiphyte communities in low pH conditions suggests cascading effects on the food web of the meadow and,consequently, on the functioning of the system.
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Ocean acidification outweighs nutrient effects in structuring seagrass epiphyte communities

Published 3 March 2014 Science Closed
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Summary

1. Developing a framework for assessing interactions between multiple anthropogenic stressors remains an important goal in environmental research. In coastal ecosystems, the relative effects of aspects of global climate change (e.g. CO2 concentrations) and localized stressors (e.g. eutrophication), in combination, have received limited attention.

2. Using a long-term (11 month) field experiment, we examine how epiphyte assemblages in a tropical seagrass meadow respond to factorial manipulations of dissolved carbon dioxide (CO2(aq)) and nutrient enrichment. In situ CO2(aq) manipulations were conducted using clear, open-top chambers which replicated carbonate parameter forecasts for the year 2100. Nutrient enrichment consisted of monthly additions of slow-release fertilizer, nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), to the sediments at rates equivalent to theoretical maximum rates of anthropogenic loading within the region (1.54 g N m−2 d−1 and 0.24 g P m−2 d−1).

3. Epiphyte community structure was assessed on a seasonal basis, and revealed declines in the abundance of coralline algae, along with increases in filamentous algae under elevated CO2(aq). Surprisingly, nutrient enrichment had no effect on epiphyte community structure or overall epiphyte loading. Interactions between CO2(aq) and nutrient enrichment were not detected. Furthermore, CO2(aq)-mediated responses in the epiphyte community displayed strong seasonality, suggesting that climate change studies in variable environments should be conducted over extended time scales.

4.Synthesis. The observed responses indicate that for certain locations, global stressors such as ocean acidification may take precedence over local eutrophication in altering the community structure of seagrass epiphyte assemblages. Given that nutrient-driven algal overgrowth is commonly cited as a widespread cause of seagrass decline, our findings highlight that alternate climate change forces may exert proximate control over epiphyte community structure.
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Photosynthetic activity buffers ocean acidification in seagrass meadows (update)

Published 28 January 2014 Science Closed
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Macrophytes growing in shallow coastal zones characterised by intense metabolic activity have the capacity to modify pH within their canopy and beyond. We observed diel pH changes in shallow (5–12 m) seagrass (Posidonia oceanica) meadows spanning 0.06 pH units in September to 0.24 units in June. The carbonate system (pH, DIC, and aragonite saturation state (ΩAr)) and O2 within the meadows displayed strong diel variability driven by primary productivity, and changes in chemistry were related to structural parameters of the meadow, in particular, the leaf surface area available for photosynthesis (LAI). LAI was positively correlated to mean, max and range pHNBS and max and range ΩAr. In June, vertical mixing (as Turbulent Kinetic Energy) influenced max and min ΩAr, while in September there was no effect of hydrodynamics on the carbonate system within the canopy. Max and range ΩAr within the meadow showed a positive trend with the calcium carbonate load of the leaves, pointing to a possible link between structural parameters, ΩAr and carbonate deposition.

Calcifying organisms, e.g. epiphytes with carbonate skeletons, may benefit from the modification of the carbonate system by the meadow. There is, however, concern for the ability of seagrasses to provide modifications of similar importance in the future. The predicted decline of seagrass meadows may alter the scope for alteration of pH within a seagrass meadow and in the water column above the meadow, particularly if shoot density and biomass decline, on which LAI is based. Organisms associated with seagrass communities may therefore suffer from the loss of pH buffering capacity in degraded meadows.
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Metabolism of a nitrogen-enriched coastal marine lagoon during the summertime

Published 11 September 2013 Science Closed
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We measured metabolism rates in a shallow, nitrogen-enriched coastal marine ecosystem on Cape Cod (MA, USA) during seven summers using an open-water diel oxygen method. We compared two basins, one directly receiving most of the nitrogen (N) load (“Snug Harbor”) and another further removed from the N load and better flushed (“Outer Harbor”). Both dissolved oxygen and pH varied greatly over the day, increasing in daylight and decreasing at night. The more N-enriched basin frequently went hypoxic during the night, and the pH in both basins was low (compared to standard seawater) when the oxygen levels were low, due to elevated carbon dioxide. Day-to-day variation in gross primary production (GPP) was high and linked in part to variation in light. Whole-ecosystem respiration tended to track this short-term variation in GPP, suggesting that respiration by the primary producers often dominated whole-system respiration. GPP was higher in the more N-loaded Snug Harbor. Seagrasses covered over 60 % of the area of the better-flushed, Outer Harbor throughout our study and were the major contributors to GPP there. Seagrasses covered 20 % of the area in Snug Harbor for the first 5 years of our study, and their contribution to GPP was relatively small. The seagrasses in Snug Harbor died off completely in the 6th year, but GPP remained high then and in the subsequent year. Overall, rates of phytoplankton GPP were relatively low, suggesting that benthic micro- and macro-algae may be the dominant primary producers in Snug Harbor in most years. Net ecosystem production in both Snug Harbor and the Outer Harbor was variable from year to year, showing net heterotrophy in some years and net autotrophy in others, with a trend towards increasing autotrophy over the 7 years reported here.

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Mechanisms of bicarbonate use influence the photosynthetic carbon dioxide sensitivity of tropical seagrasses

Published 19 August 2013 Science Closed
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The photosynthetic bicarbonate (HCO3-) use properties of three widely distributed tropical seagrasses were compared using a series of laboratory experiments. Photosynthetic rates of Thalassia testudinum, Halodule wrightii, and Syringodium filiforme were monitored in an enclosed chamber while being subjected to shifts in pH and dissolved inorganic carbon. Specific mechanisms of seagrass HCO3- use were compared by examining the photosynthetic effects of the carbonic anhydrase inhibitor acetazolamide (AZ). All seagrasses increased photosynthetic rates with reduced pH, suggesting a large effect of dissolved aqueous carbon dioxide (CO2(aq)). However, there was considerable interspecific variation in pH response. T. testudinum was highly sensitive, increasing photosynthetic rates by 100% as the pH was reduced from 8.2 to 7.4, whereas rates in H. wrightii and S. filiforme increased by only 20% over a similar range, and displayed prominent photosynthetic plateaus, indicating an increased capacity for use. Additional incubations that manipulated [HCO3-] under constant [CO2(aq)] support these findings, as only H. wrightii and S. filiforme increased photosynthetic rates with increasing [HCO3-]. T. testudinum responded to AZ addition, indicating that carbonic anhydrase enzymes facilitate limited HCO3- use. H. wrightii and S. filiforme showed no response to AZ, suggesting alternate, more efficient mechanisms of HCO3- use. Estimated kinetic parameters, Ks(CO2) and Vmax, revealed interspecific variation and further support these conclusions. Variation in photosynthetic pH responses and AZ sensitivity indicate distinctions in the carbon use properties of seagrasses exposed to similar environmental conditions. These results suggest that not all seagrasses will similarly respond to future increases in CO2(aq) availability. Attention towards potential shifts in competitive interactions within multispecific seagrass beds is warranted.

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Increased invasive potential of nonnative Phragmites australis: elevated CO2 and temperature alleviate salinity effects on photosynthesis and growth

Published 12 August 2013 Science Closed
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The prospected rise in atmospheric CO2 and temperature may change the distribution and invasive potential of a species; and intraspecific invasive lineages may respond differently to climate change. In this study, we simulated a future climate scenario with simultaneously elevated atmospheric CO2 and temperature, and investigated its interaction with soil salinity, to assess the effects of global change on the ecophysiology of two competing haplotypes of the wetland grass Phragmites australis, that are invasive in the coastal marshes of North America. The two haplotypes with the phenotypes “EU-type” (Eurasian haplotype) and “Delta-type” (Mediterranean haplotype), were grown at 0 ‰ and 20 ‰ soil salinity, and at ambient or elevated climatic conditions (700 ppm CO2, +5 ⁰C) in a phytotron system.

The aboveground growth of both phenotypes was highest at the elevated climatic conditions. Growth at 20 ‰ salinity resulted in declined aboveground growth, lower transpiration rates (E), stomata conductance (gs), specific leaf area, photosynthetic pigment concentrations and a reduced photosynthetic performance. The negative effects of salinity were, however, significantly less severe at elevated CO2 and temperature than at the ambient climatic conditions.

The Delta-type P. australis had higher shoot elongation rates than the EU-type P. australis, particularly at high salinity. The Delta-type also had higher maximum light-saturated rates of photosynthesis (Asat), maximum carboxylation rates of Rubisco (Vcmax), maximum electron transport rates (Jmax), triose phosphate utilization rates (Tp), stomata conductance (gs), as well as higher Rubisco carboxylation-limited, RuBP regeneration-limited and Tp-regeneration limited CO2 assimilation rates than the EU-type under all growth conditions. Our results suggest that the EU-type will not become dominant over the Delta-type, since the Delta-type has superior ecophysiological traits. However, the projected rise in atmospheric CO2 and temperature will alleviate the effects of salinity on both phenotypes and facilitate their expansion into more saline areas.

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Photosynthetic activity buffers ocean acidification in seagrass meadows

Published 22 July 2013 Science Closed
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Macrophytes growing in shallow coastal zones characterized by intense metabolic activity have the capacity to modify pH within their canopy and beyond. We observed diel pH ranges is in shallow (5–12 m) seagrass (Posidonia oceanica) meadows from 0.06 pH units in September to 0.24 units in June. The carbonate system (pH, DIC, and aragonite saturation state (ΩAr) and O2 within the meadows displayed strong diel variability driven by primary productivity, and changes in chemistry were related to structural parameters of the meadow, in particular, the leaf surface area available for photosynthesis (LAI). LAI was positively correlated to mean and max pHNBS and max ΩAr. Oxygen production positively influenced the range and maximum pHNBS and the range of ΩAr. In June, vertical mixing (as Turbulent Kinetic Energy) influenced ΩAr, while in September there was no effect of hydrodynamics on the carbonate system within the canopy. ΩAr was positively correlated with the calcium carbonate load of the leaves, demonstrating a direct link between structural parameters, ΩAr and carbonate deposition.

There was a direct relationship between ΩAr, influenced directly by meadow LAI, and CaCO3 content of the leaves. Therefore, calcifying organisms, e.g. epiphytes with carbonate skeletons, might benefit from the modification of the carbonate system by the meadow. The meadow might be capable of providing refugia for calcifiers by increasing pH and ΩAr through metabolic activity. There is, however, concern for the ability of seagrasses to provide this refugia function in the future. The predicted decline of seagrass meadows may alter the scope for alteration of pH within a seagrass meadow and in the water column above the meadow, particularly if shoot density and biomass decline, both strongly linked to LAI. Organisms associated with seagrass communities may therefore suffer from the loss of pH buffering capacity in degraded meadows.

Continue reading ‘Photosynthetic activity buffers ocean acidification in seagrass meadows’

Eutrophication offsets increased sea urchin grazing on seagrass caused by ocean warming and acidification

Published 8 July 2013 Science Closed
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The accumulation of atmospheric [CO2] continues to warm and acidify oceans concomitant with local disturbances, such as eutrophication. These changes can modify plant– herbivore grazing interactions by affecting the physiology of grazers and by altering the nutritional value of plants. However, such environmental changes are often studied in isolation, providing little understanding of their combined effects. We tested how ocean warming and acidification affect the per capita grazing by the sea urchin Amblypneustes pallidus on the seagrass Amphibolis antarctica and how such effects may differ between ambient and eutrophic nutrient conditions. Consistent with metabolic theory, grazing increased with warming, but in contrast to our expectations, acidification also increased grazing. While nutrient enrichment reduced grazing, it did not fully counterbalance the increase associated with warming and acidification. Collectively, these results suggest that ocean warming and acidification may combine to strengthen top-down pressure by herbivores. Localised nutrient enrichment could ameliorate some of the increased per capita grazing effect caused by warming and acidification, provided other common negative effects of eutrophication on seagrass, including overgrowth by epiphytes and herbivore aggregation, are not overwhelming. There is value in assessing how global and local environmental change will combine, often in non-intuitive ways, to modify biological interactions that shape habitats.

Continue reading ‘Eutrophication offsets increased sea urchin grazing on seagrass caused by ocean warming and acidification’

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