Differential effects of ocean acidification on growth and photosynthesis among phylotypes of Symbiodinium (Dinophyceae)

Brading, Patrick, Warner, Mark E., Davey, Phillip, Smith, David J., Achterberg, Eric P. and Suggett, David J. (2011) Differential effects of ocean acidification on growth and photosynthesis among phylotypes of Symbiodinium (Dinophyceae). Limnology and Oceanography, 56 (3), 927-938. (doi:10.4319/lo.2011.56.3.0927).

Abstract

We investigated the effect of elevated partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) on the photosynthesis and growth of four
phylotypes (ITS2 types A1, A13, A2, and B1) from the genus Symbiodinium, a diverse dinoflagellate group that is
important, both free-living and in symbiosis, for the viability of cnidarians and is thus a potentially important
model dinoflagellate group. The response of Symbiodinium to an elevated pCO2 was phylotype-specific.
Phylotypes A1 and B1 were largely unaffected by a doubling in pCO2; in contrast, the growth rate of A13 and the
photosynthetic capacity of A2 both increased by , 60%. In no case was there an effect of ocean acidification (OA)
upon respiration (dark- or light-dependent) for any of the phylotypes examined. Our observations suggest that
OA might preferentially select among free-living populations of Symbiodinium, with implications for future
symbioses that rely on algal acquisition from the environment (i.e., horizontal transmission). Furthermore, the
carbon environment within the host could differentially affect the physiology of different Symbiodinium
phylotypes. The range of responses we observed also highlights that the choice of species is an important
consideration in OA research and that further investigation across phylogenetic diversity, for both the direction of
effect and the underlying mechanism(s) involved, is warranted.

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