Effect of acidification on an Arctic phytoplankton community from Disko Bay, West Greenland

Marine Ecology Progress Series

Nina Lundholm¹  Christina Thoisen¹  Karen Riisgaard¹  Torkel Gissel Nielsen¹  Per Juel Hansen¹ 

关键词: Ocean acidification;    Coastal;    Arctic phytoplankton;    Growth rate;    pH;    CO2;    DIC;   

DOI  :  10.3354/meps11123

学科分类：海洋学与技术

来源: Inter-Research

【 摘 要 】

ABSTRACT: Long-term measurements (i.e. months) of in situ pH have not previously been reported from the Arctic; this study shows fluctuations between pH 7.5 and 8.3 during the spring bloom 2012 in a coastal area of Disko Bay, West Greenland. The effect of acidification on phytoplankton from this area was studied at both the community and species level in experimental pH treatments within (pH 8.0, 7.7 and 7.4) and outside (pH 7.1) in situ pH. The growth rate of the phytoplankton community decreased during the experimental acidification from 0.50 ± 0.01 d^-1 (SD) at pH 8.0 to 0.22 ± 0.01 d^-1 at pH 7.1. Nevertheless, the response to acidification was species-specific and divided into 4 categories: I, least affected; II, affected only at pH 7.1; III, gradually affected and IV, highly affected. In addition, the colony size and chain length of selected species were affected by the acidification. Our findings show that coastal phytoplankton from Disko Bay is naturally exposed to pH fluctuations exceeding the experimental pH range used in most ocean acidification studies. We emphasize that studies on ocean acidification should include in situ pH before assumptions on the effect of acidification on marine organisms can be made.

【 授权许可】

Unknown