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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
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
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, 25-43. (doi:10.3354/meps09140).

Record type: Article

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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More information

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
ORCID for Toby Tyrrell: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-1002-1716

Catalogue record

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: Toby Tyrrell ORCID iD
Author: Mike I. Lucas

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