Ocean acidification (OA) is predicted to decrease the abundance of calcified organisms such as gastropods. Since hermit crabs utilize gastropod shell as mobile shelter, OA has indirect impacts on hermit crab population. To examine the impacts of OA on hermit crab communities, which use calcified shell as the mobile shelter, we conducted field surveys and laboratory experiments using volcanic CO2 seeps in Shikine Island, Japan. By comparing hermit crab community structures and shell availability among five intertidal rocky shores with different degrees of acidification, Paguroidea abundance and species richness were simplified in acidified areas. Rearing experiments comparing survival rates of two Paguroidea species, Pagurus filholi (de Man, 1887) and Clibanarius virescens (Krauss, 1843), at both adult and larval stages, between acidified and ambient aquaria revealed that acidified seawater reduced larval survival rate of C. virescens. Overall, the results indicated that the species-specific direct effect in elevated C. virescens larval mortality could simplify the Paguroidea species composition. In addition, such direct effect would also lead to reduction of Paguroidea abundance, along with indirect effects though a decrease in shell availability.
Posts Tagged 'vents'
Impacts of ocean acidification on hermit crab communities through contrasting responses of Pagurus filholi (de Man, 1887) and Clibanarius virescens (Krauss, 1843)
Published 28 November 2019 Science ClosedTags: abundance, biological response, chemistry, community composition, crustaceans, field, laboratory, mollusks, mortality, North Pacific, otherprocess, vents
Elevated trace elements in sediments and seagrasses at CO2 seeps
Published 15 October 2019 Science ClosedTags: algae, biogeochemistry, biological response, chemistry, field, Mediterranean, vents
Highlights
• Sandy CO2 seep sediments had higher concentration of trace elements.
• Metals can be more toxic in areas affected by CO2 acidification, with adverse effects on the sediment associated biota.
• Seagrasses element accumulation at CO2 seeps was highest in the roots.
Abstract
Seagrasses often occur around shallow marine CO2 seeps, allowing assessment of trace metal accumulation. Here, we measured Cd, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb and Zn levels at six CO2 seeps and six reference sites in the Mediterranean. Some seep sediments had elevated metal concentrations; an extreme example was Cd which was 43x more concentrated at a seep than its reference. Three seeps had metal levels that were predicted to adversely affect marine biota, namely Vulcano (for Hg), Ischia (for Cu) and Paleochori (for Cd and Ni). There were higher-than-sediment levels of Zn and Ni in Posidonia oceanica and of Zn in Cymodocea nodosa, particularly in roots. High levels of Cu were found in Ischia seep sediments, yet seagrass was abundant, and the plants contained low levels of Cu. Differences in bioavailability and toxicity of trace elements helps explain why seagrasses can be abundant at some CO2 seeps but not others.
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Marine microbial community dynamics and responses to ocean acidification
Published 23 September 2019 Science ClosedTags: biological response, BRcommunity, community composition, laboratory, molecular biology, multiple factors, North Pacific, otherprocess, phytoplankton, prokaryotes, protists, South Pacific, temperature, vents
Marine microbes, including both eukaryotes and prokaryotes, are the basal components of marine food webs and play a fundamental role in global biogeochemical cycling. Marine phytoplankton are responsible for approximately 50% of Earth’s primary production, while heterotrophic bacteria and archaea modulate carbon and nutrient cycling in the marine environment. The structure and function of marine microbial communities are closely coupled. Consequently, understanding the factors which govern the distribution of marine microbes through space and time has key implications for food webs and biogeochemical cycling. The development of high-throughput sequencing technologies has revolutionised marine microbial ecology by facilitating the profiling of microbial communities in high taxonomic resolution. In this thesis high-throughput sequencing of the 16S and 18S rRNA genes was used to achieve two major aims. The first aim was to investigate the ecological processes which underpin microbial community assembly in the marine environment. The second aim was to investigate the responses of marine microbial communities to near- future ocean acidification.
Two studies were performed towards the first aim of this thesis. In the first study, the microbial biogeography of the South Pacific Gyre was characterised across three depths at 22 stations along a 2,000 km longitudinal transect of the region. Microbial community composition was homogenous across horizontal spatial scales in the surface waters of the South Pacific Gyre, but varied significantly between surface waters and the deep chlorophyll maximum. A null model approach was used to unveil the ecological processes driving microbial community assembly in the region. Microbial communities in the surface waters were assembled primarily through the deterministic process of homogeneous selection, indicating that selection pressures were sufficient to overwhelm the influence of dispersal effects and ecological drift across vast horizontal spatial distances in the region. Dispersal limitation was comparatively more influential in the assembly of microbial communities between the surface waters and the deep chlorophyll maximum, indicating that stochastic processes play a significant role in microbial community assembly between these contiguous water masses.
In the second study, the bacterioplankton and protist biogeography of the Southland Front system was characterised in surface waters at 24 stations spanning four water masses. Both bacterioplankton and protist communities displayed significant structuring according to water mass, although this effect was most pronounced in bacterioplankton communities. A null model approach revealed that bacterioplankton communities were primarily assembled through homogeneous selection, while protist communities were primarily assembled through dispersal limitation and ecological drift across the Southland Front system. These findings highlight that distinct ecological processes can underpin the assembly of co- occurring bacterioplankton and protist communities, and that hydrographic features such as oceanic fronts play an important role in structuring both bacterioplankton and protist communities.
Two studies were conducted towards the second aim of this thesis. In the first study, the effect of ocean acidification and warming on bacterioplankton communities was investigated at the fringe and ultra-oligotrophic centre of the South Pacific Gyre using trace-metal clean deckboard incubation experiments. Bacterioplankton community composition and function were resistant to ocean acidification alone, and combined with warming, at the fringe of the South Pacific Gyre. Subtle but significant responses of bacterioplankton community composition to ocean acidification were observed at the ultra- oligotrophic centre of the South Pacific Gyre. These results suggest that bacterioplankton community responses to ocean acidification may be modulated by nutrient regimes. Nonetheless, the findings of this study did not diverge substantially from the narrative that bacterioplankton communities are resistant to near-future acidification.
In the second study, the effect of ocean acidification on both prokaryotic and eukaryotic biofilm communities was investigated at the Shikine-Jima CO2 seep system in Japan. The composition of both prokaryotic and eukaryotic communities was profoundly affected by ocean acidification through early successional stages, though these responses were not associated with shifts in community diversity or evenness. Notably, the relative abundance of the nuisance algae Prymnesium sp. and Biddulphia biddulphiana were enhanced under high CO2 conditions. These findings suggest that benthic biofilm communities may be vulnerable to near-future ocean acidification, and that changes in biofilm community composition may contribute to the reorganisation of coastal ecosystem observed at CO2 seeps globally.
In its entirety, this thesis significantly contributes to our understanding of the spatial dynamics of marine microbial communities by revealing the highly deterministic nature of bacterioplankton community assembly in the coastal waters and central gyre of the South Pacific Ocean. Furthermore, the findings of this thesis highlight the dominance of stochastic processes in structuring marine protist communities across short spatial scales, which may contribute to challenges in correlating abiotic environmental variables with marine protist community composition through space. The resistance of bacterioplankton communities to ocean acidification at the fringe of the South Pacific Gyre, and subtle responses to ocean acidification at the ultra-oligotrophic centre of the South Pacific Gyre broadly support the notion that bacterioplankton communities are resilient to near-future ocean acidification. In contrast, the composition of both prokaryotic and eukaryotic biofilm communities was profoundly affected by ocean acidification, leading to the proliferation of harmful algae with potentially severe consequences for coastal marine environments.
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Changes in the metabolic potential of the sponge microbiome under ocean acidification
Published 16 September 2019 Science ClosedTags: biological response, laboratory, molecular biology, physiology, porifera, prokaryotes, South Pacific, vents
Anthropogenic CO2 emissions are causing ocean acidification, which can affect the physiology of marine organisms. Here we assess the possible effects of ocean acidification on the metabolic potential of sponge symbionts, inferred by metagenomic analyses of the microbiomes of two sponge species sampled at a shallow volcanic CO2 seep and a nearby control reef. When comparing microbial functions between the seep and control sites, the microbiome of the sponge Stylissa flabelliformis (which is more abundant at the control site) exhibits at the seep reduced potential for uptake of exogenous carbohydrates and amino acids, and for degradation of host-derived creatine, creatinine and taurine. The microbiome of Coelocarteria singaporensis (which is more abundant at the seep) exhibits reduced potential for carbohydrate import at the seep, but greater capacity for archaeal carbon fixation via the 3-hydroxypropionate/4-hydroxybutyrate pathway, as well as archaeal and bacterial urea production and ammonia assimilation from arginine and creatine catabolism. Together these metabolic features might contribute to enhanced tolerance of the sponge symbionts, and possibly their host, to ocean acidification.
Effects of long-term exposure to reduced pH conditions on the shell and survival of an intertidal gastropod
Published 10 September 2019 Science ClosedTags: abundance, biological response, dissolution, field, mollusks, morphology, North Atlantic, otherprocess, vents
Highlights
• Prolonged exposures to high pCO2 can severely affect Phorcus sauciatus shell.
• No effects of high pCO2 were found on size-frequency or population density of P. sauciatus.
• Shells from reduced pH sites exhibited a higher shell aspect ratio and greater percentages of shell dissolution and break.
• Shells from high pCO2 areas exhibited changes in mechanical strength.
• Similar desiccation tolerance was found among contrasting environment populations.
Abstract
Volcanic CO2 vents are useful environments for investigating the biological responses of marine organisms to changing ocean conditions (Ocean acidification, OA). Marine shelled molluscs are highly sensitive to changes in seawater carbonate chemistry. In this study, we investigated the effects of reduced pH on the intertidal gastropod, Phorcus sauciatus, in a volcanic CO2 vent off La Palma Island (Canary Islands, North East Atlantic Ocean), a location with a natural pH gradient ranging from 7.0 to 8.2 over the tidal cycles. Density and size-frequency distribution, shell morphology, shell integrity, fracture resistance, and desiccation tolerance were evaluated between populations from control and CO2 vent sites. We found no effects of reduced pH on population parameters or desiccation tolerance across the pH gradient, but significant differences in shell morphology, shell integrity, and fracture resistance were detected. Individuals from the CO2 vent site exhibited a higher shell aspect ratio, greater percentages of shell dissolution and break, and compromised shell strength than those from the control site. Our results highlight that long-term exposure to high pCO2 can negatively affect the shell features of P. sauciatus but may not have a significant effect on population performance. Moreover, we suggest that loss of shell properties could lead to changes in predator-prey interactions.
Geochemical characterization of highly diverse hydrothermal fluids from volcanic vent systems of the Kermadec intraoceanic arc
Published 10 September 2019 Science ClosedTags: biogeochemistry, chemistry, field, South Pacific, vents
During the R/V Sonne cruise SO253 in 2016/2017, hydrothermal vent sites along the Kermadec intraoceanic arc were sampled for hydrothermal fluids at four active volcanoes: Macauley, Haungaroa, Brothers and Rumble III, respectively. Water depths ranged between 290 m and 1700 m. A new vent field was discovered at Haungaroa. The samples were taken from diffuse-flow sites as well as from white and black smokers – rich in metals and gases – with discharge temperatures as high as 311 °C. Their fluid composition is very variable but basically divides into two types: one that indicates distinct magmatic input and another that shows evidence for intense water-rock interaction under hot, acidic conditions.
Fluid samples from Macauley, the shallowest sampling site (~300 m), had Fe concentrations as high as 1.7 mM, Al concentrations up to 122 μM and H2S up to 10 mM at a pH of only 1.2. At Brothers, the deepest sampling site (down to 1600 m), we identified two different fluid types: 1) A magmatically-influenced type at the Upper and Lower Cone with highest temperatures of 115 °C, up to 95.6 mM Mg (the highest Mg concentration measured in fluids from intraoceanic arc systems so far), elevated SO42− (76.9 mM), high H2S (5.0 mM), but Fe concentrations of only 15 μM and 2) A fluid with low Mg (5.4 mM), low H2S (1.1 mM), temperatures reaching 311 °C and high Fe contents (12.4 mM) at the Upper Caldera and NW Caldera Wall, typical of a black smoker fluid. Chloride concentrations in all fluids were similar, or highly enriched when compared to seawater (e.g. up to 787 mM, brine fluids), with also one low-chlorinity vapor-phase fluid sample recovered, indicating that phase separation is occurring at Brothers. Unusual highly elevated Mg concentrations in fluids from the Brothers Lower Cone (95.6 mM, compared to 53.2 mM in ambient seawater) combined with highly elevated concentrations of SO42− (76.9 mM, compared to 29.0 mM in ambient seawater) indicate dissolution of Mg- and SO42−-bearing minerals in the subsurface, such as caminite.
Our data show how highly diverse and variable island arc systems can be with respect to their fluid chemistry, both spatially and temporally. It adds to the still limited data set of arc systems compared to mid-ocean ridges and supplies an important contribution towards a better understanding of geochemical processes along arc volcanoes.
The higher range in fluid chemistry together with shallower water depth implies that the fluids from intraoceanic arcs may contribute a significant fraction of dissolved metals not only to the global oceanic biogeochemical cycle but also into the photic zone, the area of highest bioproductivity.
Ocean acidification impact on ascidian Ciona robusta spermatozoa: new evidence for stress resilience
Published 27 August 2019 Science ClosedTags: biological response, chordata, laboratory, Mediterranean, morphology, physiology, reproduction, vents
Highlights
• Impact of ocean acidification on sperm quality of the ascidian Ciona robusta was investigated.
• Two experimental approaches were set up to simulate the ocean conditions predicted for the end of this century.
• Alteration of sperm motility, morphology and physiology was detected in short-term exposure.
• A rapid recovery of physiological conditions was observed within one week.
• New evidence of resilience in ascidian C. robusta spermatozoa in response to ocean acidification.
Abstract
Rising atmospheric CO2 is causing a progressive decrease of seawater pH, termed ocean acidification. Predicting its impact on marine invertebrate reproduction is essential to anticipate the consequences of future climate change on species fitness and survival. Ocean acidification may affect reproductive success either in terms of gamete or progeny quality threating species survival. Despite an increasing number of studies focusing on the effects of ocean acidification on the early life history of marine organisms, very few have investigated the effects on invertebrate gamete quality. In this study, we set up two experimental approaches simulating the ocean conditions predicted for the end of this century, in situ transplant experiments at a naturally acidified volcanic vent area along the Ischia island coast and microcosm experiments, to evaluate the short-term effects of the predicted near-future levels of ocean acidification on sperm quality of the ascidian Ciona robusta after parental exposure. In the first days of exposure to acidified conditions, we detected alteration of sperm motility, morphology and physiology, followed by a rapid recovery of physiological conditions that provide a new evidence of resilience of ascidian spermatozoa in response to ocean acidification. Overall, the short-term tolerance to adverse conditions opens a new scenario on the marine species capacity to continue to reproduce and persist in changing oceans.
Simulating and quantifying multiple natural subsea CO2 seeps at Panarea Island (Aeolian Islands, Italy) as a proxy for potential leakage from subseabed carbon storage sites
Published 26 August 2019 Science ClosedTags: biogeochemistry, chemistry, field, Mediterranean, modeling, regionalmodeling, vents
Carbon dioxide (CO2) capture and storage (CCS) has been discussed as a potentially significant mitigation option for the ongoing climate warming. Natural CO2 release sites serve as natural laboratories to study subsea CO2 leakage in order to identify suitable analytical methods and numerical models to develop best-practice procedures for the monitoring of subseabed storage sites. We present a new model of bubble (plume) dynamics, advection-dispersion of dissolved CO2, and carbonate chemistry. The focus is on a medium-sized CO2 release from 294 identified small point sources around Panarea Island (South-East Tyrrhenian Sea, Aeolian Islands, Italy) in water depths of about 40–50 m. This study evaluates how multiple CO2 seep sites generate a temporally variable plume of dissolved CO2. The model also allows the overall flow rate of CO2 to be estimated based on field measurements of pH. Simulations indicate a release of ∼6900 t y–1 of CO2 for the investigated area and highlight an important role of seeps located at >20 m water depth in the carbon budget of the Panarea offshore gas release system. This new transport-reaction model provides a framework for understanding potential future leaks from CO2 storage sites.
High pCO2 promotes coral primary production
Published 26 July 2019 Science ClosedTags: biological response, corals, field, photosynthesis, physiology, respiration, South Pacific, vents
While research on ocean acidification (OA) impacts on coral reefs has focused on calcification, relatively little is known about effects on coral photosynthesis and respiration, despite these being among the most plastic metabolic processes corals may use to acclimatize to adverse conditions. Here, we present data collected between 2016 and 2018 at three natural CO2 seeps in Papua New Guinea where we measured the metabolic flexibility (i.e. in hospite photosynthesis and dark respiration) of 12 coral species. Despite some species-specific variability, metabolic rates as measured by net oxygen flux tended to be higher at high pCO2 (ca 1200 µatm), with increases in photosynthesis exceeding those of respiration, suggesting greater productivity of Symbiodiniaceae photosynthesis in hospite, and indicating the potential for metabolic flexibility that may enable these species to thrive in environments with high pCO2. However, laboratory and field observations of coral mortality under high CO2 conditions associated with coral bleaching suggests that this metabolic subsidy does not result in coral higher resistance to extreme thermal stress. Therefore, the combined effects of OA and global warming may lead to a strong decrease in coral diversity despite the stimulating effect on coral productivity of OA alone.
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Ocean acidification alters meiobenthic assemblage composition and organic matter degradation rates in seagrass sediments
Published 22 July 2019 Science ClosedTags: abundance, biogeochemistry, biological response, chemistry, community composition, field, Mediterranean, multiple factors, nutrients, otherprocess, phanerogams, physiology, vents
Seagrass meadows are an important organic matter (OM) reservoir but, are currently being lost due to global and regional stressors. Yet, there is limited research investigating the cumulative impacts of anthropogenic stressors on the structure and functioning of seagrass benthic assemblages, key drivers of OM mineralization and burial. Here, using a 16‐month field experiment, we assessed how meiobenthic assemblages and extracellular enzymatic activities (as a proxy of OM degradation) in Posidonia oceanica sediments responded to ocean acidification (OA) and nutrient loadings, at CO2 vents. P. oceanica meadows were exposed to three nutrient levels (control, moderate, and high) at both ambient and low pH sites. OA altered meiobenthic assemblage structure, resulting in increased abundance of annelids and crustaceans, along with a decline in foraminifera. In addition, low pH enhanced OM degradation rates in seagrass sediments by enhancing extracellular enzymatic activities, potentially decreasing the sediment carbon storage capacity of seagrasses. Nutrient enrichment had no effect on the response variables analyzed, suggesting that, under nutrient concentration unlikely to cause N or P imitation, a moderate increase of dissolved nutrients in the water column had limited influence on meiobenthic assemblages. These findings show that OA can significantly alter meiobenthic assemblage structure and enhance OM degradation rates in seagrass sediments. As meiofauna are ubiquitous key actors in the functioning of benthic ecosystems, we postulated that OA, altering the structure of meiobenthic assemblages and OM degradation, could affect organic carbon sequestration over large spatial scales.
How calorie-rich food could help marine calcifiers in a CO2-rich future
Published 11 July 2019 Science ClosedTags: biological response, chemistry, field, mollusks, morphology, physiology, vents
Increasing carbon emissions not only enrich oceans with CO2 but also make them more acidic. This acidifying process has caused considerable concern because laboratory studies show that ocean acidification impairs calcification (or shell building) and survival of calcifiers by the end of this century. Whether this impairment in shell building also occurs in natural communities remains largely unexplored, but requires re-examination because of the recent counterintuitive finding that populations of calcifiers can be boosted by CO2 enrichment. Using natural CO2 vents, we found that ocean acidification resulted in the production of thicker, more crystalline and more mechanically resilient shells of a herbivorous gastropod, which was associated with the consumption of energy-enriched food (i.e. algae). This discovery suggests that boosted energy transfer may not only compensate for the energetic burden of ocean acidification but also enable calcifiers to build energetically costly shells that are robust to acidified conditions. We unlock a possible mechanism underlying the persistence of calcifiers in acidifying oceans.
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Ocean acidification at a coastal CO2 vent induces expression of stress-related transcripts and transposable elements in the sea anemone Anemonia viridis
Published 14 May 2019 Science ClosedTags: biological response, chemistry, cnidaria, field, Mediterranean, molecular biology, physiology, protists, vents
Ocean acidification threatens to disrupt interactions between organisms throughout marine ecosystems. The diversity of reef-building organisms decreases as seawater CO2 increases along natural gradients, yet soft-bodied animals, such as sea anemones, are often resilient. We sequenced the polyA-enriched transcriptome of adult sea anemone Anemonia viridis and its dinoflagellate symbiont sampled along a natural CO2 gradient in Italy to assess stress levels in these organisms. We found that about 3.1% of the anemone transcripts, but <1% of the Symbiodinium sp. transcripts were differentially expressed. Processes enriched at high seawater CO2 were linked to cellular stress and inflammation, including significant up-regulation of protective cellular functions and down-regulation of metabolic pathways. Transposable elements were differentially expressed at high seawater CO2, with an extreme up-regulation (> 100-fold) of the BEL-family of long terminal repeat retrotransposons. Seawater acidified by CO2 generated a significant stress reaction in A. viridis, but no bleaching was observed and Symbiodinium sp. appeared to be less affected. These observed changes indicate the mechanisms by which A. viridis acclimate to survive chronic exposure to ocean acidification conditions. We conclude that many organisms that are common in acidified conditions may nevertheless incur costs due to hypercapnia and/or lowered carbonate saturation states.
Ocean acidification impacts on coastal ecosystem services due to habitat degradation
Published 30 April 2019 Science ClosedTags: BRcommunity, review, socio-economy, vents
The oceanic uptake of anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions is changing seawater chemistry in a process known as ocean acidification. The chemistry of this rapid change in surface waters is well understood and readily detectable in oceanic observations, yet there is uncertainty about the effects of ocean acidification on society since it is difficult to scale-up from laboratory and mesocosm tests. Here, we provide a synthesis of the likely effects of ocean acidification on ecosystem properties, functions and services based on observations along natural gradients in pCO2. Studies at CO2 seeps worldwide show that biogenic habitats are particularly sensitive to ocean acidification and that their degradation results in less coastal protection and less habitat provisioning for fisheries. The risks to marine goods and services amplify with increasing acidification causing shifts to macroalgal dominance, habitat degradation and a loss of biodiversity at seep sites in the tropics, the sub-tropics and on temperate coasts. Based on this empirical evidence, we expect ocean acidification to have serious consequences for the millions of people who are dependent on coastal protection, fisheries and aquaculture. If humanity is able to make cuts in fossil fuel emissions, this will reduce costs to society and avoid the changes in coastal ecosystems seen in areas with projected pCO2 levels. A binding international agreement for the oceans should build on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal to ‘minimise and address the impacts of ocean acidification’.
Transport of carbon dioxide and heavy metals from hydrothermal vents to shallow water by hydrate-coated gas bubbles
Published 30 April 2019 Science ClosedTags: Arctic, chemistry, field, vents
Deep-sea hydrothermal plumes are of major importance in the biogeochemical ocean cycles and in this study we focus on plumes emitted from the Jan Mayen vent fields in the Norwegian-Greenland Sea. These vent fields are of interest because of the high CO2 concentrations and also due to the different styles of venting occurring here. Venting at these sites occurs between 550 and 700 m depth and is characterized by the release of hydrate coated bubbles as well as focused flow venting. This study aims to enhance our current understanding of the impact of CO2 rich hydrate coated bubbles on the water column as well as the interaction between hydrothermally derived gases and metals in the water column. Three water column surveys were conducted in this area in between 2012 and 2014, in which the non-buoyant plume (NBP) produced by focused flow venting from both the Troll Wall and the Perle & Bruse vent sites was identified by primordial helium (3He), methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2) and dissolved manganese (Mn) enrichments close to 500 m water depth. Our results show that venting of hydrate coated CO2 rich bubbles increases bubble rise height, which results in shallow acidification locally above the vent sites. A polymetallic anomaly in the mid-depth water column above the NBP is also hypothesized to be a result of the hydrate coated bubbles. We argue that nanoparticles get sequestered to the hydrate lattice and travel with the bubbles until the lattice becomes unstable due to gas expansion upon depressurization during ascent. This process could fuel the primary production in the pelagic water column.
Bottom water methane sources along the high latitude eastern Canadian continental shelf and their effects on the marine carbonate system
Published 24 April 2019 Science ClosedTags: chemistry, field, North Atlantic, vents
Highlights
• Evidence of sedimentary methane seepage at three sites along the high latitude eastern Canadian Shelf.
• Stable isotope measurements at one of the sites suggest methane originates from microbial methanogenesis.
• Near bottom spikes in pH seen at two sites suggest the presence of an unidentified proton acceptor in the seep fluid.
Abstract
Measurements of dissolved methane (CH4) and carbonate system parameters were conducted in shelf and slope waters off Baffin Island and northern Labrador during September 2012 and August 2016 in order to investigate potential cold seeps and their influence on the marine carbonate system. Evidence of a strong near-bottom methane source was found at two sites along the Baffin Island Shelf (Scott Inlet and Cape Dyer) and above a pair of reported sea floor mounds in the Saglek Basin between Baffin Island and northern Labrador. Stable carbon isotope measurements of dissolved methane made at the Cape Dyer site give an estimated δ13C value of −71.2‰ for the source, consistent with microbial methanogenesis. The distributions of pCO2, pH and aragonite and calcite saturation states showed no evidence of enhanced ocean acidification in the vicinity of these sites, so it would seem that these seeps were not significant local sources of carbon dioxide, either as a component in the seep fluid or produced subsequent to release by water column microbial methane oxidation, nonetheless, aragonite saturation states of one or less were seen along the Baffin Island Shelf suggesting that ecosystems here may be vulnerable to further acidification. Spectrophotometric pH measurements of fresh samples in 2012 revealed a bottom water spike in pH at two seep sites that were not replicated by measurements of preserved seawater samples. We hypothesise that this was due to an unstable anionic compound present in seep fluid that can locally increase total alkalinity, pH and calcium carbonate saturation with HS− being a likely candidate, possibly to the benefit of calcifying organisms in an environment bordering on aragonite under-saturation.
Geochemistry of hot-springs at the SuSu Knolls Hydrothermal Field, Eastern Manus Basin: advanced argillic alteration and vent fluid acidity
Published 10 April 2019 Science ClosedTags: chemistry, South Pacific, vents
SuSu Knolls is an area of ongoing magmatic activity and recent volcanism located in the back-arc spreading environment of the Manus Basin in the Bismarck Sea, Papua New Guinea. In 2006, hydrothermal fluids were collected from three areas of submarine hot-spring venting and analyzed for the chemical and isotopic composition of major and trace species. Fluids were characterized by temperatures that varied from 226 to 325 °C, and formed grey to black smoke as they mixed with bottom seawater. The compositions of seawater derived vent fluids are regulated by the relative contributions of fluid-rock and fluid-sediment interaction, phase separation, and the addition of volatiles from magmatic degassing. In addition to phase separation, leaching of Cl from felsic rocks that compose the lithosphere in back-arc environments may produce measured Cl concentrations in excess of seawater values.
The measured pH25°C of SuSu Knolls smoker fluids varied from 1.5 to 3.7, a range that includes values substantially more acidic than typically observed in fluids at mid-ocean ridge spreading centers. Late stage addition of magmatic volatiles in the shallow seafloor is directly responsible for the most acidic fluids (pH25°C values below 2). In contrast, the acidity of vent fluids characterized by pH25°C values between 2 and 3 is not the direct result of the direct addition of magmatically-derived acidic species. Instead, the pH of these fluids likely reflects reaction with rocks that were previously altered by highly acidic magmatic fluids to an advanced argillic alteration assemblage containing quartz-illite-pyrophyllite-anhydrite±alunite in hydrothermal upflow zones. Fluids that do not react with advanced argillic alteration assemblages during upflow have measured pH25°Cvalues between 3 and 4.
Living in future ocean acidification, physiological adaptive responses of the immune systems of sea urchins resident at a CO2 vent system
Published 4 April 2019 Science ClosedTags: biological response, echinoderms, field, laboratory, Mediterranean, molecular biology, physiology, vents
Highlights
- • Paracentrotus lividus living at CO2 vents was compared to those at two control sites.
- • Sea urchins are adapted to life at vent site by altering immune cells metabolism.
- • Vent animals show a rearrangement of defensive abilities and antioxidant processes.
Abstract
The effects of ocean acidification, a major anthropogenic impact on marine life, have been mainly investigated in laboratory/mesocosm experiments. We used the CO2 vents at Ischia as a natural laboratory to study the long-term effects of ocean acidification on the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus population resident in low-pH (7.8 ± 0.2) compared to that at two control sites (pH 8.02 ± 0.00; 8.02 ± 0.01). The novelty of the present study is the analysis of the sea urchin immune cells, the sentinels of environmental stress responses, by a wide-ranging approach, including cell morphology, biochemistry and proteomics. Immune cell proteomics showed that 311 proteins were differentially expressed in urchins across sites with a general shift towards antioxidant processes in the vent urchins. The vent urchin immune cells showed higher levels of total antioxidant capacity, up-regulation of phagosome and microsomal proteins, enzymes of ammonium metabolism, amino-acid degradation, and modulation of carbon metabolism proteins. Lipid-hydroperoxides and nitric oxide levels were not different in urchins from the different sites. No differences in the coelomic fluid pH, immune cell composition, animal respiration, nitrogen excretion and skeletal mineralogy were observed. Our results reveal the phenotypic plasticity of the immune system of sea urchins adapted to life at vent site, under conditions commensurate with near-future ocean acidification projections.
Plant and sediment properties in seagrass meadows from two Mediterranean CO2 vents: Implications for carbon storage capacity of acidified oceans
Published 19 March 2019 Science ClosedTags: abundance, algae, biological response, chemistry, field, Mediterranean, morphology, otherprocess, vents
Highlights
• Seagrass features differed between control and low pH stations inconsistently in the two vents.
• Carbon content and its surficial accumulation decreased at high pCO2–low pH conditions.
• Carbon storage capacity of the seagrass may not increase at high pCO2-low pH conditions.
Abstract
Assessing the status of important carbon sinks such as seagrass meadows is of primary importance when dealing with potential climate change mitigation strategies. This study examined plant and sediment properties in seagrass meadows (Cymodocea nodosa (Ucria) Asch.) from two high pCO2–low pH Mediterranean vent systems, located at Milos (Greece) and Vulcano (Italy) Islands, providing insights on carbon storage potential in future acidified oceans. Contrary to what has been suggested, carbon content (both inorganic and organic) and its surficial accumulation decreased at high pCO2–low pH in comparison with controls. The decrease in inorganic carbon may result from the higher solubility of carbonates due to the more acidic conditions. At Vulcano, the seagrass properties (e.g., leaf area, biomass) appeared negatively affected by environmental conditions at high pCO2–low pH conditions and this may have had a detrimental effect on the organic carbon content and accumulation. At Milos, organic carbon decreased at high pCO2–low pH conditions, despite the increase in seagrass aboveground biomass, leaf length and area, probably as a consequence of site-specific features, which need further investigation and may include both biotic and abiotic factors (e.g., oligotrophic conditions, decreased sedimentation rate and input of allochthonous material). Results suggest that, in contrast to previous predictions based exclusively on the expected positive response of seagrasses to ocean acidification, carbon storage capacity of the seagrass C. nodosa may not increase at high pCO2-low pH conditions. This study emphasizes the need to investigate further the potential alteration in the climate mitigation service delivered by seagrass meadows in acidified oceans.
Greenhouse gases, nutrients and the carbonate system in the Reloncaví Fjord (Northern Chilean Patagonia): implications on aquaculture of the mussel, Mytilus chilensis, during an episodic volcanic eruption
Published 12 March 2019 Science ClosedTags: biogeochemistry, biological response, chemistry, field, mollusks, morphology, physiology, South Pacific, vents
Highlights
• A large bloom of phytoplankton was detected in the surface waters of the Reloncaví fjord following the Calbuco volcano eruption.
• Subsequent to the Calbuco volcano eruption, higher N2O, CH4 and SO42− concentrations were observed in Fjord surface waters close to areas of river discharge.
• Optimal juvenile mussel growth was observed in refugee subsurface depths coinciding with increased aragonite saturation.
• Thus, the observed trends in the carbonate system and nutrient outputs may be valuable for developing effective management strategies for mussel aquaculture in the Reloncaví Fjord.
Abstract
This study investigates the immediate and mid-term effects of the biogeochemical variables input into the Reloncaví fjord (41°40′S; 72°23′O) as a result of the eruption of Calbuco volcano. Reloncaví is an estuarine system supporting one of the largest mussels farming production within Northern Chilean-Patagonia. Field-surveys were conducted immediately after the volcanic eruption (23–30 April 2015), one month (May 2015), and five months posterior to the event (September 2015). Water samples were collected from three stations along the fjord to determine greenhouse gases [GHG: methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O)], nutrients [NO3−, NO2−, PO43−, Si(OH)4, sulphate (SO42−)], and carbonate systems parameters [total pH (pHT), temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen (O2), and total alkalinity (AT)]. Additionally, the impact of physicochemical changes in the water column on juveniles of the produced Chilean blue mussel, Mytilus chilensis, was also studied. Following the eruption, a large phytoplankton bloom led to an increase in pHT, due to the uptake of dissolved-inorganic carbon in photic waters, potentially associated with the runoff of continental soil covered in volcanic ash. Indeed, high surface SO42− and GHG were observed to be associated with river discharges. No direct evidence of the eruption was observed within the carbonate system. Notwithstanding, a vertical pattern was observed, with an undersaturation of aragonite (ΩAr < 1) both in brackish surface (10 m), and saturated values in subsurface waters (3 to 7 m). Simultaneously, juvenile mussel shells showed maximized length and weight at 4 m depth. Results suggest a localized impact of the volcanic eruption on surface GHG, nutrients and short-term effects on the carbonate system. Optimal conditions for mussel calcification were identified within a subsurface refuge in the fjord. These specific attributes can be integrated into adaptation strategies by the mussel aquaculture industry to confront ocean acidification and changing runoff conditions.
A triple trophic boost: how carbon emissions indirectly change a marine food chain
Published 5 March 2019 Science ClosedTags: abundance, algae, biological response, laboratory, mollusks, morphology, otherprocess, performance, physiology, primary production, South Pacific, vents
The pervasive enrichment of CO2 in our oceans is a well‐documented stressor to marine life. Yet, there is little understanding about how CO2 affects species indirectly in naturally complex communities. Using natural CO2 vents, we investigated the indirect effects of CO2 enrichment through a marine food chain. We show how CO2 boosted the biomass of three trophic levels: from the primary producers (algae), through to their grazers (gastropods), and finally through to their predators (fish). We also found that consumption by both grazers and predators intensified under CO2 enrichment, but, ultimately, this top‐down control failed to compensate for the boosted biomass of both primary producers and herbivores (bottom‐up control). Our study suggests that indirect effects can buffer the ubiquitous and direct, negative effects of CO2 enrichment by allowing the upward propagation of resources through the food chain. Maintaining the natural complexity of food webs in our ocean communities could, therefore, help minimize the future impacts of CO2 enrichment.
