scholarly journals The challenges of detecting and attributing ocean acidification impacts on marine ecosystems

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steve S Doo ◽  
Andrea Kealoha ◽  
Andreas Andersson ◽  
Anne L Cohen ◽  
Tacey L Hicks ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ocean Acidification ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Marine Ecosystem ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Marine Species ◽  
Marine Ecosystems ◽  
Marine Organisms ◽  
Comparative Approach ◽  
Natural Environments

Abstract A substantial body of research now exists demonstrating sensitivities of marine organisms to ocean acidification (OA) in laboratory settings. However, corresponding in situ observations of marine species or ecosystem changes that can be unequivocally attributed to anthropogenic OA are limited. Challenges remain in detecting and attributing OA effects in nature, in part because multiple environmental changes are co-occurring with OA, all of which have the potential to influence marine ecosystem responses. Furthermore, the change in ocean pH since the industrial revolution is small relative to the natural variability within many systems, making it difficult to detect, and in some cases, has yet to cross physiological thresholds. The small number of studies that clearly document OA impacts in nature cannot be interpreted as a lack of larger-scale attributable impacts at the present time or in the future but highlights the need for innovative research approaches and analyses. We summarize the general findings in four relatively well-studied marine groups (seagrasses, pteropods, oysters, and coral reefs) and integrate overarching themes to highlight the challenges involved in detecting and attributing the effects of OA in natural environments. We then discuss four potential strategies to better evaluate and attribute OA impacts on species and ecosystems. First, we highlight the need for work quantifying the anthropogenic input of CO2 in coastal and open-ocean waters to understand how this increase in CO2 interacts with other physical and chemical factors to drive organismal conditions. Second, understanding OA-induced changes in population-level demography, potentially increased sensitivities in certain life stages, and how these effects scale to ecosystem-level processes (e.g. community metabolism) will improve our ability to attribute impacts to OA among co-varying parameters. Third, there is a great need to understand the potential modulation of OA impacts through the interplay of ecology and evolution (eco–evo dynamics). Lastly, further research efforts designed to detect, quantify, and project the effects of OA on marine organisms and ecosystems utilizing a comparative approach with long-term data sets will also provide critical information for informing the management of marine ecosystems.

scholarly journals Parasitic infection: a buffer against ocean acidification?

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 20160007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colin D. MacLeod ◽  
Robert Poulin
Keyword(s):  
Ocean Acidification ◽  
Research Effort ◽  
Marine Ecosystem ◽  
Parasitic Infection ◽  
Biotic Interactions ◽  
Marine Species ◽  
Marine Organisms ◽  
Abiotic Stressors ◽  
Host Mortality ◽  
Important Confounding Factor

Recently, there has been a concerted research effort by marine scientists to quantify the sensitivity of marine organisms to ocean acidification (OA). Empirical data generated by this research have been used to predict changes to marine ecosystem health, biodiversity and productivity that will be caused by continued acidification. These studies have also found that the effects of OA on marine organisms can be significantly modified by additional abiotic stressors (e.g. temperature or oxygen) and biotic interactions (e.g. competition or predation). To date, however, the effects of parasitic infection on the sensitivity of marine organisms to OA have been largely ignored. We show that parasitic infection significantly altered the response of a marine gastropod to simulated OA conditions by reducing the mortality of infected individuals relative to uninfected conspecifics. Without the inclusion of infection data, our analysis would not have detected the significant effect of pH on host mortality. These results strongly suggest that parasitic infection may be an important confounding factor in OA research and must be taken into consideration when assessing the response of marine species to OA.

scholarly journals Using indicators for evaluating, comparing, and communicating the ecological status of exploited marine ecosystems. 2. Setting the scene

2010 ◽  
Vol 67 (4) ◽  
pp. 692-716 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yunne-Jai Shin ◽  
Lynne J. Shannon ◽  
Alida Bundy ◽  
Marta Coll ◽  
Kerim Aydin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Working Group ◽  
Marine Ecosystem ◽  
Ecological Status ◽  
Ecological Indicators ◽  
Ecosystem Approach ◽  
Marine Ecosystems ◽  
Comparative Approach ◽  
Insufficient Data ◽  
Ecosystem Drivers ◽  
Selection Of

Abstract Shin, Y-J., Shannon, L. J., Bundy, A., Coll, M., Aydin, K., Bez, N., Blanchard, J. L., Borges, M. F., Diallo, I., Diaz, E., Heymans, J. J., Hill, L., Johannesen, E., Jouffre, D., Kifani, S., Labrosse, P., Link, J. S., Mackinson, S., Masski, H., Möllmann, C., Neira, S., Ojaveer, H., ould Mohammed Abdallahi, K., Perry, I., Thiao, D., Yemane, D., and Cury, P. M. 2010. Using indicators for evaluating, comparing, and communicating the ecological status of exploited marine ecosystems. 2. Setting the scene. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 67: 692–716. Background is provided to the selection of ecological indicators by the IndiSeas Working Group, and the methodology adopted for analysis and comparison of indicators across exploited marine ecosystems is documented. The selected indicators are presented, how they are calculated is explained, and the philosophy behind the comparative approach is given. The combination of selected indicators is intended to reflect different dynamics, tracking processes that display differential responses to fishing, and is meant to provide a complementary means of assessing marine ecosystem trends and states. IndiSeas relied on inputs and insights provided by the local experts from participating ecosystems, helping to understand state and trend indicators and to disentangle the effect of other potential ecosystem drivers, such as climate variability. This project showed that the use of simple and available indicators under an ecosystem approach can achieve a real, wide-reaching evaluation of marine ecosystem status caused by fishing. This is important because the socio-economics of areas where fishing activities develop differs significantly around the globe, and in many countries, insufficient data are available for complex and exhaustive analyses.

scholarly journals Interactive effects of metal pollution and ocean acidification on physiology of marine organisms

2015 ◽  
Vol 61 (4) ◽  
pp. 653-668 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna V. Ivanina ◽  
Inna M. Sokolova
Keyword(s):  
Trace Metals ◽  
Ocean Acidification ◽  
Elevated Co2 ◽  
Marine Ecosystems ◽  
Marine Organisms ◽  
Interactive Effects ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Acid Base ◽  
Physiological Basis ◽  
Physiological Functions

Abstract Changes in the global environment such as ocean acidification (OA) may interact with anthropogenic pollutants including trace metals threatening the integrity of marine ecosystems. We analyze recent studies on the interactive effects of OA and trace metals on marine organisms with a focus on the physiological basis of these interactions. Our analysis shows that the responses to elevated CO2 and metals are strongly dependent on the species, developmental stage, metal biochemistry and the degree of environmental hypercapnia, and cannot be directly predicted from the CO2-induced changes in metal solubility and speciation. The key physiological functions affected by both the OA and trace metal exposures involve acid-base regulation, protein turnover and mitochondrial bioenergetics, reflecting the sensitivity of the underlying molecular and cellular pathways to CO2and metals. Physiological interactions between elevated CO2 and metals may impact the organisms’ capacity to maintain acid-base homeostasis and reduce the amount of energy available for fitness-related functions such as growth, development and reproduction thereby affecting survival and performance of estuarine populations. Environmental hypercapnia may also affect the marine food webs by altering predator-prey interactions and the trophic transfer of metals in the food chain. However, our understanding of the degree to which these effects can impact the function and integrity of marine ecosystems is limited due the scarcity of the published research and its bias towards certain taxonomic groups. Future research priorities should include studies of metal x PCO2 interactions focusing on critical physiological functions (including acid-base, protein and energy homeostasis) in a greater range of ecologically and economically important marine species, as well as including the field populations naturally exposed (and potentially adapted) to different levels of metals and CO2 in their environments.

Ocean acidification reduces sperm flagellar motility in broadcast spawning reef invertebrates

Zygote ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 103-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masaya Morita ◽  
Ryota Suwa ◽  
Akira Iguchi ◽  
Masako Nakamura ◽  
Kazuaki Shimada ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ocean Acidification ◽  
Sea Cucumber ◽  
Marine Invertebrates ◽  
Marine Ecosystems ◽  
Marine Organisms ◽  
Haploid Genome ◽  
Flagellar Motility ◽  
Distant Future ◽  
Broadcast Spawning ◽  
Wide Range

SummaryOcean acidification is now recognized as a threat to marine ecosystems; however, the effect of ocean acidification on fertilization in marine organisms is still largely unknown. In this study, we focused on sperm flagellar motility in broadcast spawning reef invertebrates (a coral and a sea cucumber). Below pH 7.7, the pH predicted to occur within the next 100 years, sperm flagellar motility was seriously impaired in these organisms. Considering that sperm flagellar motility is indispensable for transporting the paternal haploid genome for fertilization, fertilization taking place in seawater may decline in the not too distant future. Urgent surveys are necessary for a better understanding of the physiological consequences of ocean acidification on sperm flagellar motility in a wide range of marine invertebrates.

scholarly journals Continent-wide effects of urbanization on bird and mammal genetic diversity

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Schmidt ◽  
M. Domaratzki ◽  
R.P. Kinnunen ◽  
J. Bowman ◽  
C.J. Garroway
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Natural Environments ◽  
Population Declines ◽  
Effective Population ◽  
Human Footprint ◽  
Rate Of Increase ◽  
Population Sizes

AbstractUrbanization and associated environmental changes are causing global declines in vertebrate populations. In general, population declines of the magnitudes now detected should lead to reduced effective population sizes for animals living in proximity to humans and disturbed lands. This is cause for concern because effective population sizes set the rate of genetic diversity loss due to genetic drift, the rate of increase in inbreeding, and the efficiency with which selection can act on beneficial alleles. We predicted that the effects of urbanization should decrease effective population size and genetic diversity, and increase population-level genetic differentiation. To test for such patterns, we repurposed and reanalyzed publicly archived genetic data sets for North American birds and mammals. After filtering, we had usable raw genotype data from 85 studies and 41,023 individuals, sampled from 1,008 locations spanning 41 mammal and 25 bird species. We used census-based urban-rural designations, human population density, and the Human Footprint Index as measures of urbanization and habitat disturbance. As predicted, mammals sampled in more disturbed environments had lower effective population sizes and genetic diversity, and were more genetically differentiated from those in more natural environments. There were no consistent relationships detectable for birds. This suggests that, in general, mammal populations living near humans may have less capacity to respond adaptively to further environmental changes, and be more likely to suffer from effects of inbreeding.

scholarly journals Effects of Ocean Acidification on Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
James P. Barry ◽  
Stephen Widdicombe
Keyword(s):  
Ocean Acidification ◽  
Ecosystem Function ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Biological Effects ◽  
Marine Ecosystems ◽  
Fishing Effort ◽  
Elemental Cycling ◽  
Biodiversity And Ecosystem Function ◽  
The Stability ◽  
And Function

The biodiversity of the oceans, including the striking variation in life forms from microbes to whales and ranging from surface waters to hadal trenches, forms a dynamic biological framework enabling the flow of energy that shapes and sustains marine ecosystems. Society relies upon the biodiversity and function of marine systems for a wide range of services as basic as producing the seafood we consume or as essential as generating much of the oxygen we breathe. Perhaps most obvious is the global seafood harvest totalling over 100 Mt yr–1 (82 and 20 Mt in 2008 for capture and aquaculture, respectively; FAO 2009) from fishing effort that expands more broadly and deeper each year as fishery stocks are depleted (Pauly et al. 2003). Less apparent ecosystem services linked closely to biodiversity and ecosystem function are waste processing and improved water quality, elemental cycling, shoreline protection, recreational opportunities, and aesthetic or educational experiences (Cooley et al. 2009). There is growing concern that ocean acidification caused by fossil fuel emissions, in concert with the effects of other human activities, will cause significant changes in the biodiversity and function of marine ecosystems, with important consequences for resources and services that are important to society. Will the effects of ocean acidification on ecosystems be similar to those arising from other environmental perturbations observed during human or earth history? Although changes in biodiversity and ecosystem function due to ocean acidification have not yet been widely observed, their onset may be difficult to detect amidst the variability associated with other human and non-human factors, and the greatest impacts are expected to occur as acidification intensifies through this century. In theory, large and rapid environmental changes are expected to decrease the stability and productivity of ecosystems due to a reduction in biodiversity caused by the loss of sensitive species that play important roles in energy flow (i.e. food web function) or other processes (e.g. ecosystem engineers; Cardinale et al. 2006). In practice, however, most research concerning the biological effects of ocean acidification has focused on aspects of the performance and survival of individual species during short-term studies, assuming that a change in individual performance will influence ecosystem function.

scholarly journals Why compare marine ecosystems?

2009 ◽  
Vol 67 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven A. Murawski ◽  
John H. Steele ◽  
Phillip Taylor ◽  
Michael J. Fogarty ◽  
Michael P. Sissenwine ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reefs ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Model Building ◽  
Marine Ecosystem ◽  
Marine Ecosystems ◽  
Learning By Doing ◽  
Ecosystem Dynamics ◽  
Comparative Approach ◽  
Ecosystem Responses ◽  
Continental Shelves

Abstract Murawski, S. A., Steele, J. H., Taylor, P., Fogarty, M. J., Sissenwine, M. P., Ford, M., and Suchman, C. 2010. Why compare marine ecosystems? – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 67: 1–9. Effective marine ecosystem-based management (EBM) requires understanding the key processes and relationships controlling the aspects of biodiversity, productivity, and resilience to perturbations. Unfortunately, the scales, complexity, and non-linear dynamics that characterize marine ecosystems often confound managing for these properties. Nevertheless, scientifically derived decision-support tools (DSTs) are needed to account for impacts resulting from a variety of simultaneous human activities. Three possible methodologies for revealing mechanisms necessary to develop DSTs for EBM are: (i) controlled experimentation, (ii) iterative programmes of observation and modelling (“learning by doing”), and (iii) comparative ecosystem analysis. We have seen that controlled experiments are limited in capturing the complexity necessary to develop models of marine ecosystem dynamics with sufficient realism at appropriate scales. Iterative programmes of observation, model building, and assessment are useful for specific ecosystem issues but rarely lead to generally transferable products. Comparative ecosystem analyses may be the most effective, building on the first two by inferring ecosystem processes based on comparisons and contrasts of ecosystem response to human-induced factors. We propose a hierarchical system of ecosystem comparisons to include within-ecosystem comparisons (utilizing temporal and spatial changes in relation to human activities), within-ecosystem-type comparisons (e.g. coral reefs, temperate continental shelves, upwelling areas), and cross-ecosystem-type comparisons (e.g. coral reefs vs. boreal, terrestrial vs. marine ecosystems). Such a hierarchical comparative approach should lead to better understanding of the processes controlling biodiversity, productivity, and the resilience of marine ecosystems. In turn, better understanding of these processes will lead to the development of increasingly general laws, hypotheses, functional forms, governing equations, and broad interpretations of ecosystem responses to human activities, ultimately improving DSTs in support of EBM.

scholarly journals Experimental assessments of marine species sensitivities to ocean acidification and co-stressors: how far have we come?

2019 ◽  
Vol 97 (5) ◽  
pp. 399-408 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannes Baumann
Keyword(s):  
Ocean Acidification ◽  
Species Interactions ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Intraspecific Variability ◽  
Marine Species ◽  
Marine Organisms ◽  
Single Experiment ◽  
Experimental Approaches ◽  
Marine Climate

Experimental studies assessing the potential impacts of ocean acidification on marine organisms have rapidly expanded and produced a wealth of empirical data over the past decade. This perspective examines four key areas of transformative developments in experimental approaches: (1) methodological advances; (2) advances in elucidating physiological and molecular mechanisms behind observed CO2effects; (3) recognition of short-term CO2variability as a likely modifier of species sensitivities (Ocean Variability Hypothesis); and (4) consensus on the multistressor nature of marine climate change where effect interactions are still challenging to anticipate. No single experiment allows predicting the fate of future populations. But sustaining the accumulation of empirical evidence is critical for more robust estimates of species reaction norms and thus for enabling better modeling approaches. Moreover, advanced experimental approaches are needed to address knowledge gaps including changes in species interactions and intraspecific variability in sensitivity and its importance for the adaptation potential of marine organisms to a high CO2world.

scholarly journals Comparative analysis of European wide marine ecosystem shifts: a large-scale approach for developing the basis for ecosystem-based management

2011 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 484-486 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Möllmann ◽  
Alessandra Conversi ◽  
Martin Edwards
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Marine Ecosystem ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Marine Ecosystems ◽  
Regime Shifts ◽  
Comparative Approach ◽  
The Black Sea ◽  
Ecosystem Structure ◽  
Ecosystem Based Management ◽  
The North

Abrupt and rapid ecosystem shifts (where major reorganizations of food-web and community structures occur), commonly termed regime shifts, are changes between contrasting and persisting states of ecosystem structure and function. These shifts have been increasingly reported for exploited marine ecosystems around the world from the North Pacific to the North Atlantic. Understanding the drivers and mechanisms leading to marine ecosystem shifts is crucial in developing adaptive management strategies to achieve sustainable exploitation of marine ecosystems. An international workshop on a comparative approach to analysing these marine ecosystem shifts was held at Hamburg University, Institute for Hydrobiology and Fisheries Science, Germany on 1–3 November 2010. Twenty-seven scientists from 14 countries attended the meeting, representing specialists from seven marine regions, including the Baltic Sea, the North Sea, the Barents Sea, the Black Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, the Bay of Biscay and the Scotian Shelf off the Canadian East coast. The goal of the workshop was to conduct the first large-scale comparison of marine ecosystem regime shifts across multiple regional areas, in order to support the development of ecosystem-based management strategies.

scholarly journals Climate change and tropical marine ecosystems: A review with an emphasis on coral reefs

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. S24-S35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joan A. Kleypas A. Kleypas
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Coral Reefs ◽  
Ocean Acidification ◽  
Direct Consequence ◽  
Co2 Concentration ◽  
Marine Species ◽  
Marine Ecosystems ◽  
Weather Extremes ◽  
Human Environment ◽  
Seawater Ph

Climate change is usually associated with warming and weather extremes that impact the human environment and terrestrial systems, but it also has profound effects on the ocean, which is probably the most unique, life-supporting feature of planet Earth. The most direct consequence of rising CO2 concentration in the atmosphere is “ocean acidification,” a term that refers to the lowering of seawater pH, but encompasses a suite of chemical changes that affect marine organisms from shell formation, to reproduction, physiology, and behavior. The oceans are also warming in pace with the atmosphere, and in fact store the vast majority of the additional heat generated by rising CO2 and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. This warming is causing the more mobile marine species to redistribute poleward and deeper, and is causing high mortality in more sessile species such as those that build and habituate coral reefs. But warming is also leading to a decrease in dissolved oxygen in the oceans. For tropical marine ecosystems, the combination of ocean acidification, warming, and deoxygenation will continue to impact marine ecosystems in the future. The extent of these impacts depends on which energy pathway society follows, and our abilities to reduce other stressors and assist the rate at which species can adapt and migrate to more suitable environments.

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