Irradiance and pH affect coccolithophore community composition on a transect between the North Sea and the Arctic Ocean
Irradiance and pH affect coccolithophore community composition on a transect between the North Sea and the Arctic Ocean
Little is known about the distribution of coccolithophores in Arctic regions, or the reasons why they are absent from certain locations but thrive in others. Factors thought to affect coccolithophore distribution include nutrients, salinity, temperature and light, as well as carbonate chemistry parameters. Here we present data collected in summer 2008 along a transect between the North Sea and Svalbard (Arctic). Coccolithophore abundance and diversity were measured and compared with a set of environmental variables that included macronutrients, salinity, temperature, irradiance, pH and ?calcite. Eighteen coccolithophore species were found in the southern North Sea where coccolithophores were previously thought to be absent. In the ice-covered region north of Svalbard, coccolithophores were scarce and dominated by the family Papposphaeraceae. A multivariate approach showed that changes in pH and mixed layer irradiance explained most of the variation in coccolithophore distribution and community composition (Spearman’s rS = 0.62). Differences between the Svalbard population and those from other regions were mostly explained by pH (rS = 0.45), whereas mixed layer irradiance explained most of the variation between the North Sea, Norwegian Sea and Arctic water assemblages (rS = 0.40). Estimates of cell specific calcification rates showed that species composition can considerably affect community calcification. Consequently, future ocean acidification (changes in pH) and stratification due to global warming (changes in mixed layer irradiance) may influence pelagic calcification by inducing changes in the species composition of coccolithophore communities.
Coccolithophore, Emiliania huxleyi, Arctic Ocean, pH, Irradiance, Ocean acidification
25-43
Charalampopoulou, Anastasia
2b5d63cd-be8f-45d2-95cd-68cb591d7407
Poulton, Alex J.
14bf64a7-d617-4913-b882-e8495543e717
Tyrrell, Toby
6808411d-c9cf-47a3-88b6-c7c294f2d114
Lucas, Mike I.
3bb72027-86ed-4063-bf0d-ed9a667fc50e
2011
Charalampopoulou, Anastasia
2b5d63cd-be8f-45d2-95cd-68cb591d7407
Poulton, Alex J.
14bf64a7-d617-4913-b882-e8495543e717
Tyrrell, Toby
6808411d-c9cf-47a3-88b6-c7c294f2d114
Lucas, Mike I.
3bb72027-86ed-4063-bf0d-ed9a667fc50e
Charalampopoulou, Anastasia, Poulton, Alex J., Tyrrell, Toby and Lucas, Mike I.
(2011)
Irradiance and pH affect coccolithophore community composition on a transect between the North Sea and the Arctic Ocean.
Marine Ecology Progress Series, 431, .
(doi:10.3354/meps09140).
Abstract
Little is known about the distribution of coccolithophores in Arctic regions, or the reasons why they are absent from certain locations but thrive in others. Factors thought to affect coccolithophore distribution include nutrients, salinity, temperature and light, as well as carbonate chemistry parameters. Here we present data collected in summer 2008 along a transect between the North Sea and Svalbard (Arctic). Coccolithophore abundance and diversity were measured and compared with a set of environmental variables that included macronutrients, salinity, temperature, irradiance, pH and ?calcite. Eighteen coccolithophore species were found in the southern North Sea where coccolithophores were previously thought to be absent. In the ice-covered region north of Svalbard, coccolithophores were scarce and dominated by the family Papposphaeraceae. A multivariate approach showed that changes in pH and mixed layer irradiance explained most of the variation in coccolithophore distribution and community composition (Spearman’s rS = 0.62). Differences between the Svalbard population and those from other regions were mostly explained by pH (rS = 0.45), whereas mixed layer irradiance explained most of the variation between the North Sea, Norwegian Sea and Arctic water assemblages (rS = 0.40). Estimates of cell specific calcification rates showed that species composition can considerably affect community calcification. Consequently, future ocean acidification (changes in pH) and stratification due to global warming (changes in mixed layer irradiance) may influence pelagic calcification by inducing changes in the species composition of coccolithophore communities.
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Published date: 2011
Keywords:
Coccolithophore, Emiliania huxleyi, Arctic Ocean, pH, Irradiance, Ocean acidification
Organisations:
Ocean and Earth Science, Marine Biogeochemistry, National Oceanography Centre,Southampton
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 193701
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/193701
PURE UUID: 556069b4-c0c8-4f32-954a-095eefc9bbb2
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Date deposited: 19 Jul 2011 09:06
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 02:52
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Contributors
Author:
Anastasia Charalampopoulou
Author:
Alex J. Poulton
Author:
Mike I. Lucas
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