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The future of the northeast Atlantic benthic flora in a high CO2 world

The future of the northeast Atlantic benthic flora in a high CO2 world
The future of the northeast Atlantic benthic flora in a high CO2 world
Seaweed and seagrass communities in the northeast Atlantic have been profoundly impacted by humans, and the rate of change is accelerating rapidly due to runaway CO2 emissions and mounting pressures on coastlines associated with human population growth and increased consumption of finite resources. Here, we predict how rapid warming and acidification are likely to affect benthic flora and coastal ecosystems of the northeast Atlantic in this century, based on global evidence from the literature as interpreted by the collective knowledge of the authorship. We predict that warming will kill off kelp forests in the south and that ocean acidification will remove maerl habitat in the north. Seagrasses will proliferate, and associated epiphytes switch from calcified algae to diatoms and filamentous species. Invasive species will thrive in niches liberated by loss of native species and spread via exponential development of artificial marine structures. Combined impacts of seawater warming, ocean acidification, and increased storminess may replace structurally diverse seaweed canopies, with associated calcified and noncalcified flora, with simple habitats dominated by noncalcified, turf-forming seaweeds.
Calcified algae, climate change, invasive species, macroalgae, microphytobenthos, seagrasses, volatile gases
2787-2798
Brodie, Juliet
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Williamson, Christopher J.
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Smale, Dan A.
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Kamenos, Nicholas A.
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Mieszkowska, Nova
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Santos, Rui
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Cunliffe, Michael
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Steinke, Michael
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Yesson, Christopher
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Anderson, Kathryn M.
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Asnaghi, Valentina
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Brownlee, Colin
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Burdett, Heidi L.
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Burrows, Michael T.
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Collins, Sinead
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Donohue, Penelope J. C.
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Harvey, Ben
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Foggo, Andrew
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Noisette, Fanny
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Nunes, Joana
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Ragazzola, Federica
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Raven, John A.
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Schmidt, Daniela N.
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Suggett, David
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Teichberg, Mirta
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Hall-Spencer, Jason M.
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Brodie, Juliet
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Williamson, Christopher J.
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Smale, Dan A.
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Kamenos, Nicholas A.
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Mieszkowska, Nova
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Santos, Rui
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Cunliffe, Michael
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Steinke, Michael
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Yesson, Christopher
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Anderson, Kathryn M.
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Asnaghi, Valentina
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Brownlee, Colin
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Burdett, Heidi L.
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Burrows, Michael T.
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Collins, Sinead
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Donohue, Penelope J. C.
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Harvey, Ben
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Foggo, Andrew
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Noisette, Fanny
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Nunes, Joana
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Ragazzola, Federica
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Raven, John A.
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Schmidt, Daniela N.
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Suggett, David
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Teichberg, Mirta
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Hall-Spencer, Jason M.
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Brodie, Juliet, Williamson, Christopher J., Smale, Dan A., Kamenos, Nicholas A., Mieszkowska, Nova, Santos, Rui, Cunliffe, Michael, Steinke, Michael, Yesson, Christopher, Anderson, Kathryn M., Asnaghi, Valentina, Brownlee, Colin, Burdett, Heidi L., Burrows, Michael T., Collins, Sinead, Donohue, Penelope J. C., Harvey, Ben, Foggo, Andrew, Noisette, Fanny, Nunes, Joana, Ragazzola, Federica, Raven, John A., Schmidt, Daniela N., Suggett, David, Teichberg, Mirta and Hall-Spencer, Jason M. (2014) The future of the northeast Atlantic benthic flora in a high CO2 world. Ecology and Evolution, 4 (13), 2787-2798. (doi:10.1002/ece3.1105).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Seaweed and seagrass communities in the northeast Atlantic have been profoundly impacted by humans, and the rate of change is accelerating rapidly due to runaway CO2 emissions and mounting pressures on coastlines associated with human population growth and increased consumption of finite resources. Here, we predict how rapid warming and acidification are likely to affect benthic flora and coastal ecosystems of the northeast Atlantic in this century, based on global evidence from the literature as interpreted by the collective knowledge of the authorship. We predict that warming will kill off kelp forests in the south and that ocean acidification will remove maerl habitat in the north. Seagrasses will proliferate, and associated epiphytes switch from calcified algae to diatoms and filamentous species. Invasive species will thrive in niches liberated by loss of native species and spread via exponential development of artificial marine structures. Combined impacts of seawater warming, ocean acidification, and increased storminess may replace structurally diverse seaweed canopies, with associated calcified and noncalcified flora, with simple habitats dominated by noncalcified, turf-forming seaweeds.

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More information

e-pub ahead of print date: 14 June 2014
Published date: July 2014
Keywords: Calcified algae, climate change, invasive species, macroalgae, microphytobenthos, seagrasses, volatile gases
Organisations: Ocean and Earth Science

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 366962
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/366962
PURE UUID: ab8e6fad-7bb6-48c1-84f1-7b65be66b09a

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 16 Jul 2014 09:19
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 17:19

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Contributors

Author: Juliet Brodie
Author: Christopher J. Williamson
Author: Dan A. Smale
Author: Nicholas A. Kamenos
Author: Nova Mieszkowska
Author: Rui Santos
Author: Michael Cunliffe
Author: Michael Steinke
Author: Christopher Yesson
Author: Kathryn M. Anderson
Author: Valentina Asnaghi
Author: Colin Brownlee
Author: Heidi L. Burdett
Author: Michael T. Burrows
Author: Sinead Collins
Author: Penelope J. C. Donohue
Author: Ben Harvey
Author: Andrew Foggo
Author: Fanny Noisette
Author: Joana Nunes
Author: Federica Ragazzola
Author: John A. Raven
Author: Daniela N. Schmidt
Author: David Suggett
Author: Mirta Teichberg
Author: Jason M. Hall-Spencer

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