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Slow-flow habitats as refugia for coastal calcifiers from ocean acidification
he pH of the oceans’ surface water is dropping, termed ocean acidification (OA), and the 0.4 unit reduction in pH by 2100 is projected to negatively impact benthic coastal organisms that produce calcium carbonate “skeletons.” Research has focussed on identifying species that are susceptible to OA, but there is an urgent need to discover refuge habitats that will afford protection to vulnerable species. The susceptibility of calcium carbonate skeletons to dissolution by OA depends on the pH at their surface, and this is controlled by the interaction between seawater velocity and organismal metabolism. This perspective considers how seawater velocity modifies the responses of calcifying organisms (seaweed, shellfish, and tropical corals) to OA through its action on controlling diffusion boundary layer thickness and thereby the pH and calcium carbonate saturation state (Ω) at the organisms’ surface. Evidence is presented to support the idea that slow-flow habitats, such as wave-sheltered bays or the within canopies of seaweed/seagrass beds, might provide inexpensive refugia from OA for vulnerable coastal calcifiers.
History
Publication title
Journal of PhycologyVolume
51Issue
4Pagination
599-605ISSN
0022-3646Department/School
Institute for Marine and Antarctic StudiesPublisher
Blackwell Publishing IncPlace of publication
350 Main St, Malden, USA, Ma, 02148Rights statement
Copyright 2015 Phycological Society of AmericaRepository Status
- Restricted