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Phytoplankton calcification in a high-CO2 world

Phytoplankton calcification in a high-CO2 world
Phytoplankton calcification in a high-CO2 world
Ocean acidification in response to rising atmospheric CO2 partial pressures is widely expected to reduce calcification by marine organisms. From the mid-Mesozoic, coccolithophores have been major calcium carbonate producers in the world's oceans, today accounting for about a third of the total marine CaCO3 production. Here, we present laboratory evidence that calcification and net primary production in the coccolithophore species Emiliania huxleyi are significantly increased by high CO2 partial pressures. Field evidence from the deep ocean is consistent with these laboratory conclusions, indicating that over the past 220 years there has been a 40% increase in average coccolith mass. Our findings show that coccolithophores are already responding and will probably continue to respond to rising atmospheric CO2 partial pressures, which has important implications for biogeochemical modeling of future oceans and climate.
0036-8075
336-340
Iglesias-Rodriguez, M. Debora
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Halloran, Paul R.
fc3fb311-de73-4fd8-a0f2-dd18e9187b8e
Rickaby, Rosalind E. M.
33cf49a9-c24c-46e1-aed4-4ce6f8e956db
Hall, Ian R.
79d6c80f-11a9-4ffe-ba43-a20c5ee1c9de
Colmenero-Hidalgo, Elena
514ae798-11c1-4faa-a808-38497eaf21ae
Gittins, John R.
c4d269cc-aae0-4182-bc81-78dc724f7d95
Green, Darryl R. H.
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Tyrrell, Toby
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Gibbs, Samantha J.
82dfbcbc-3a8a-40da-8a80-fe7ad83f3110
von Dassow, Peter
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Rehm, Eric
005b962a-4e17-4cd3-a18f-2b31e440f51f
Armbrust, E. Virginia
e2d0035a-24e2-4cdd-9990-d96ecc1d7e12
Boessenkool, Karin P.
89dbff9a-f722-43f0-ba15-17dc37b8116e
Iglesias-Rodriguez, M. Debora
6afa55be-e2f8-416f-80e3-3550e42c2079
Halloran, Paul R.
fc3fb311-de73-4fd8-a0f2-dd18e9187b8e
Rickaby, Rosalind E. M.
33cf49a9-c24c-46e1-aed4-4ce6f8e956db
Hall, Ian R.
79d6c80f-11a9-4ffe-ba43-a20c5ee1c9de
Colmenero-Hidalgo, Elena
514ae798-11c1-4faa-a808-38497eaf21ae
Gittins, John R.
c4d269cc-aae0-4182-bc81-78dc724f7d95
Green, Darryl R. H.
0d7d86c4-d674-4514-8aa6-259134dc7b57
Tyrrell, Toby
6808411d-c9cf-47a3-88b6-c7c294f2d114
Gibbs, Samantha J.
82dfbcbc-3a8a-40da-8a80-fe7ad83f3110
von Dassow, Peter
74ef5c44-af62-4509-949a-30b6616d05ff
Rehm, Eric
005b962a-4e17-4cd3-a18f-2b31e440f51f
Armbrust, E. Virginia
e2d0035a-24e2-4cdd-9990-d96ecc1d7e12
Boessenkool, Karin P.
89dbff9a-f722-43f0-ba15-17dc37b8116e

Iglesias-Rodriguez, M. Debora, Halloran, Paul R., Rickaby, Rosalind E. M., Hall, Ian R., Colmenero-Hidalgo, Elena, Gittins, John R., Green, Darryl R. H., Tyrrell, Toby, Gibbs, Samantha J., von Dassow, Peter, Rehm, Eric, Armbrust, E. Virginia and Boessenkool, Karin P. (2008) Phytoplankton calcification in a high-CO2 world. Science, 320 (5874), 336-340. (doi:10.1126/science.1154122).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Ocean acidification in response to rising atmospheric CO2 partial pressures is widely expected to reduce calcification by marine organisms. From the mid-Mesozoic, coccolithophores have been major calcium carbonate producers in the world's oceans, today accounting for about a third of the total marine CaCO3 production. Here, we present laboratory evidence that calcification and net primary production in the coccolithophore species Emiliania huxleyi are significantly increased by high CO2 partial pressures. Field evidence from the deep ocean is consistent with these laboratory conclusions, indicating that over the past 220 years there has been a 40% increase in average coccolith mass. Our findings show that coccolithophores are already responding and will probably continue to respond to rising atmospheric CO2 partial pressures, which has important implications for biogeochemical modeling of future oceans and climate.

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More information

Published date: 18 April 2008
Organisations: Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre,Southampton

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 50927
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/50927
ISSN: 0036-8075
PURE UUID: 75aec284-f0d9-4b7e-9bea-7ee38e7e0ede
ORCID for Toby Tyrrell: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-1002-1716

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Date deposited: 18 Apr 2008
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 02:52

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Contributors

Author: M. Debora Iglesias-Rodriguez
Author: Paul R. Halloran
Author: Rosalind E. M. Rickaby
Author: Ian R. Hall
Author: Elena Colmenero-Hidalgo
Author: John R. Gittins
Author: Darryl R. H. Green
Author: Toby Tyrrell ORCID iD
Author: Samantha J. Gibbs
Author: Peter von Dassow
Author: Eric Rehm
Author: E. Virginia Armbrust
Author: Karin P. Boessenkool

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