Ocean acidification reduces growth and calcification in a marine dinoflagellate
Van de Waal, Dedmer B. (Alfred-Wegener-Institut für Polar- und Meeresforschung)
Uwe, John (Alfred-Wegener-Institut für Polar- und Meeresforschung)
Ziveri, Patrizia (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Biologia Animal, de Biologia Vegetal i d'Ecologia)
Reichart, Gert-Jan (Utrecht University. Department of Earth Sciences)
Hoins, Mirja (Alfred-Wegener-Institut für Polar- und Meeresforschung)
Sluijs, Appy (Utrecht University. Department of Earth Sciences)
Rost, Björn (Alfred-Wegener-Institut für Polar- und Meeresforschung)

Date:	2013
Abstract:	Ocean acidification is considered a major threat to marine ecosystems and may particularly affect calcifying organisms such as corals, foraminifera and coccolithophores. Here we investigate the impact of elevated pCO2 and lowered pH on growth and calcification in the common calcareous dinoflagellate Thoracosphaera heimii. We observe a substantial reduction in growth rate, calcification and cyst stability of T. heimii under elevated pCO2. Furthermore, transcriptomic analyses reveal CO2 sensitive regulation of many genes, particularly those being associated to inorganic carbon acquisition and calcification. Stable carbon isotope fractionation for organic carbon production increased with increasing pCO2 whereas it decreased for calcification, which suggests interdependence between both processes. We also found a strong effect of pCO2 on the stable oxygen isotopic composition of calcite, in line with earlier observations concerning another T. heimii strain. The observed changes in stable oxygen and carbon isotope composition of T. heimii cysts may provide an ideal tool for reconstructing past seawater carbonate chemistry, and ultimately past pCO2. Although the function of calcification in T. heimii remains unresolved, this trait likely plays an important role in the ecological and evolutionary success of this species. Acting on calcification as well as growth, ocean acidification may therefore impose a great threat for T. heimii.
Grants:	European Commission 205150 European Commission 259627
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Carbon dioxide ; Calcification ; Calcite ; Gene expression ; Fractionation ; Carbonates ; Marine ecology ; Oxygen
Published in:	PloS one, Vol. 8 Issue 9 (June 2013) , p. e65987, ISSN 1932-6203

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0065987
PMID: 23776586

10 p, 699.0 KB

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Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Experimental sciences > Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA)
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