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133662 - Phytoplankton blooms at increasing levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide.pdf (5.29 MB)

Phytoplankton blooms at increasing levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide: experimental evidence for negative effects on prymnesiophytes and positive on small picoeukaryotes

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posted on 2023-05-20, 05:17 authored by Schulz, KG, Lennart BachLennart Bach, Bellerby, RGJ, Bermudez, R, Budenbender, J, Boxhammer, T, Czerny, J, Engel, A, Ludwig, A, Meyerhofer, M, Larsen, A, Paul, AJ, Sswat, M, Riebesell, U

Anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and the ongoing accumulation in the surface ocean together with concomitantly decreasing pH and calcium carbonate saturation states have the potential to impact phytoplankton community composition and therefore biogeochemical element cycling on a global scale. Here we report on a recent mesocosm CO2 perturbation study (Raunefjorden, Norway), with a focus on organic matter and phytoplankton dynamics. Cell numbers of three phytoplankton groups were particularly affected by increasing levels of seawater CO2 throughout the entire experiment, with the cyanobacterium Synechococcus and picoeukaryotes (prasinophytes) profiting, and the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi (prymnesiophyte) being negatively impacted. Combining these results with other phytoplankton community CO2 experiments into a data-set of global coverage suggests that, whenever CO2 effects are found, prymnesiophyte (especially coccolithophore) abundances are negatively affected, while the opposite holds true for small picoeukaryotes belonging to the class of prasinophytes, or the division of chlorophytes in general. Future reductions in calcium carbonate-producing coccolithophores, providing ballast which accelerates the sinking of particulate organic matter, together with increases in picoeukaryotes, an important component of the microbial loop in the euphotic zone, have the potential to impact marine export production, with feedbacks to Earth's climate system.

History

Publication title

Frontiers in Marine Science

Volume

4

Article number

64

Number

64

Pagination

1-18

ISSN

2296-7745

Department/School

Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies

Publisher

Frontiers Research Foundation

Place of publication

Switzerland

Rights statement

Copyright 2017 Schulz, Bach, Bellerby, Bermudez, Budenbender, Boxhammer, Czerny, Engel, Ludwig, Meyerhofer, Larsen, Paul Sswat and Riebesell. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Repository Status

  • Open

Socio-economic Objectives

Expanding knowledge in the earth sciences

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