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Ravaglioli C, De Marchi L, Giannessi J, Pretti C, Bulleri F. Seagrass meadows as ocean acidification refugia for sea urchin larvae. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 906:167465. [PMID: 37778543 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Foundation species have been widely documented to provide suitable habitats for other species by ameliorating stressful environmental conditions. Nonetheless, their role in rescuing stress-sensitive species from adverse conditions due to climate change remains often unexplored. Here, we performed a mesocosm experiment to assess whether the seagrass, Posidonia oceanica, through its photosynthetic activity, could mitigate the negative effects of ocean acidification on larval development and growth of the calcifying sea urchin, Paracentrotus lividus. Sea urchin larvae at early and late developmental stages that are generally associated to benthic habitats, were grown in aquaria with or without P. oceanica plants, under ambient or low pH conditions predicted by the end of the century under the worst climate scenario (RCP8.5). The percentage of abnormal larvae and their total body length under different experimental conditions were assessed on early- (i.e., pluteus; 72 h post-fertilization) and final-developmental stages (i.e., echinopluteus; 30 days post-fertilization), respectively. The presence of P. oceanica increased mean daily pH values of ∼0.1 and ∼0.15 units at ambient and low pH conditions, respectively, compared with tanks without plants. When grown at low pH in association with P. oceanica, plutei showed a ∼23 % reduction of malformations and echinoplutei a ∼34 % increase in total body length, respectively, compared with larvae developing in tanks without plants. Our results suggest that P. oceanica, by increasing pH and altering seawater carbonate chemistry through its metabolic activity, could buffer the negative effects of ocean acidification on calcifying organisms and could, thus, represent a tool against climate-driven loss of biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Ravaglioli
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Pisa, CoNISMa, via Derna 1, 56126 Pisa, Italy.
| | - L De Marchi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie, Università of Pisa, Via Livornese (lato monte) - 56122 San Piero a Grado, Pisa, Italy.
| | - J Giannessi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie, Università of Pisa, Via Livornese (lato monte) - 56122 San Piero a Grado, Pisa, Italy.
| | - C Pretti
- Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie, Università of Pisa, Via Livornese (lato monte) - 56122 San Piero a Grado, Pisa, Italy; Interuniversity Consortium of Marine Biology and Applied Ecology "G. Bacci" (CIBM), Viale N.Sauro 4, 57128 Livorno, Italy.
| | - F Bulleri
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Pisa, CoNISMa, via Derna 1, 56126 Pisa, Italy; Centro interdipartimentale di Ricerca per lo Studio degli Effetti del Cambiamento Climatico (CIRSEC), Università di Pisa, Italy.
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Ricart AM, Honisch B, Fachon E, Hunt CW, Salisbury J, Arnold SN, Price NN. Optimizing marine macrophyte capacity to locally ameliorate ocean acidification under variable light and flow regimes: Insights from an experimental approach. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0288548. [PMID: 37819926 PMCID: PMC10566731 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0288548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The urgent need to remediate ocean acidification has brought attention to the ability of marine macrophytes (seagrasses and seaweeds) to take up carbon dioxide (CO2) and locally raise seawater pH via primary production. This physiological process may represent a powerful ocean acidification mitigation tool in coastal areas. However, highly variable nearshore environmental conditions pose uncertainty in the extent of the amelioration effect. We developed experiments in aquaria to address two interconnected goals. First, we explored the individual capacities of four species of marine macrophytes (Ulva lactuca, Zostera marina, Fucus vesiculosus and Saccharina latissima) to ameliorate seawater acidity in experimentally elevated pCO2. Second, we used the most responsive species (i.e., S. latissima) to assess the effects of high and low water residence time on the amelioration of seawater acidity in ambient and simulated future scenarios of climate change across a gradient of irradiance. We measured changes in dissolved oxygen, pH, and total alkalinity, and derived resultant changes to dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and calcium carbonate saturation state (Ω). While all species increased productivity under elevated CO2, S. latissima was able to remove DIC and alter pH and Ω more substantially as CO2 increased. Additionally, the amelioration of seawater acidity by S. latissima was optimized under high irradiance and high residence time. However, the influence of water residence time was insignificant under future scenarios. Finally, we applied predictive models as a function of macrophyte biomass, irradiance, and residence time conditions in ambient and future climatic scenarios to allow projections at the ecosystem level. This research contributes to understanding the biological and physical drivers of the coastal CO2 system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurora M. Ricart
- Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, East Boothbay, Maine, United States America
| | - Brittney Honisch
- Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, East Boothbay, Maine, United States America
| | - Evangeline Fachon
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Christopher W. Hunt
- Ocean Process Analysis Laboratory, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH,, United States of America
| | - Joseph Salisbury
- Ocean Process Analysis Laboratory, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH,, United States of America
| | | | - Nichole N. Price
- Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, East Boothbay, Maine, United States America
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Sorte CJB, Kroeker KJ, Miller LP, Bracken MES. Biological modification of coastal pH depends on community composition and time. Ecology 2023; 104:e4113. [PMID: 37260224 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Biological processes play important roles in determining how global changes manifest at local scales. Primary producers can absorb increased CO2 via daytime photosynthesis, modifying pH in aquatic ecosystems. Yet producers and consumers also increase CO2 via respiration. It is unclear whether biological modification of pH differs across the year, and, if so, what biotic and abiotic drivers underlie temporal differences. We addressed these questions using the intensive study of tide pool ecosystems in Alaska, USA, including quarterly surveys of 34 pools over 1 year and monthly surveys of five pools from spring to fall in a second year. We measured physical conditions, community composition, and changes in pH and dissolved oxygen during the day and night. We detected strong temporal patterns in pH dynamics. Our measurements indicate that pH modification varies spatially (between tide pools) and temporally (across months). This variation in pH dynamics mirrored changes in dissolved oxygen and was associated with community composition, including both relative abundance and diversity of benthic producers and consumers, whose role differed across the year, particularly at night. These results highlight the importance of the time of year when considering the ways that community composition influences pH conditions in aquatic ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cascade J B Sorte
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Kristy J Kroeker
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, California, USA
| | - Luke P Miller
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Matthew E S Bracken
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
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Garner N, Ross PM, Falkenberg LJ, Seymour JR, Siboni N, Scanes E. Can seagrass modify the effects of ocean acidification on oysters? MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2022; 177:113438. [PMID: 35276613 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Solutions are being sought to ameliorate the impacts of anthropogenic climate change. Seagrass may be a solution to provide refugia from climate change for marine organisms. This study aimed to determine if the seagrass Zostera muelleri sub spp. capricorni benefits the Sydney rock oyster Saccostrea glomerata, and if these benefits can modify any anticipated negative impacts of ocean acidification. Future and ambient ocean acidification conditions were simulated in 52 L mesocosms at control (381 μatm) and elevated (848 μatm) CO2 with and without Z. muelleri. Oyster growth, physiology and microbiomes of oysters and seagrass were measured. Seagrass was beneficial to oyster growth at ambient pCO2, but did not positively modify the impacts of ocean acidification on oysters at elevated pCO2. Oyster microbiomes were altered by the presence of seagrass but not by elevated pCO2. Our results indicate seagrasses may not be a panacea for the impacts of climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha Garner
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales 2006, Australia; The Sydney Institute of Marine Science (SIMS), Mosman, New South Wales 2088, Australia
| | - Pauline M Ross
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales 2006, Australia; The Sydney Institute of Marine Science (SIMS), Mosman, New South Wales 2088, Australia.
| | - Laura J Falkenberg
- Simon F.S. Li Marine Science Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Justin R Seymour
- Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, New South Wales 2007, Australia
| | - Nachshon Siboni
- Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, New South Wales 2007, Australia
| | - Elliot Scanes
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales 2006, Australia; The Sydney Institute of Marine Science (SIMS), Mosman, New South Wales 2088, Australia; Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, New South Wales 2007, Australia
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Samantaray S, Sanyal P. Sources and fate of organic matter in a hypersaline lagoon: A study based on stable isotopes from the Pulicat lagoon, India. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 807:150617. [PMID: 34656946 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotopes of organic matter (OM) in bed sediments and suspended solids are thoroughly investigated in the Pulicat lagoon, India, in pre-South West (SW) monsoon (June 2018) and post-North East (NE) monsoon (March 2019) to understand the response of OM in salt stress conditions. A near absence of an external supply of water and intense evaporation, as suggested by higher hydrogen and oxygen isotope values (δD and δ18O) of the lagoon water, led to hypersaline conditions in the lagoon. Despite a long period of osmotic stress, a high OM concentration in suspended solids in post-NE monsoon suggests that autochthonous production is unaffected by salt stress conditions. Locally at different sites, the difference in δ13C (-4.9‰ to +1.4‰) and δ15N (-4.1‰ to +1.6‰) values of OM between suspended solids and bed sediments are higher in pre-SW monsoon compared to post-NE monsoon. The negative isotopic difference is caused by benthic respiration of OM and cation exchange with clay bound ammonium in bed sediments, whereas the positive difference is the result of cellulose decomposition in areas dominated by seagrasses. However, in post-NE monsoon, wind-induced re-suspension of bed sediments reduce the differences in δ13C (-2.3‰ to -0.1‰) and δ15N (-2.1‰ to +3‰) values. The source apportionments of δ15N values suggest inputs from sewage and fertilizers. Additionally, seagrass-detritus dislodged by fishing activities favors primary production. Overall, we suggest that the impact of the hypersaline conditions on in-situ productivity can be suppressed if wind activity and nutrient re-cycling are dominant. The present study is unique as it addresses the processes that operate in a hypersaline lagoon during the short-term failure of monsoon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santrupta Samantaray
- Department of Earth Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, Mohanpur 741246, India.
| | - Prasanta Sanyal
- Department of Earth Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, Mohanpur 741246, India; Centre for Climate and Environment Studies, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, Mohanpur 741246, India
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