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Biomineralization control related to population density under ocean acidification

Nature Climate Change volume 4, pages 593–597 (2014)Cite this article

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Abstract

Anthropogenic CO2 is a major driver of present environmental change in most ecosystems1, and the related ocean acidification is threatening marine biota2. With increasing pCO2, calcification rates of several species decrease3, although cases of upregulation are observed4. Here, we show that biological control over mineralization relates to species abundance along a natural pH gradient. As pCO2 increased, the mineralogy of a scleractinian coral (Balanophyllia europaea) and a mollusc (Vermetus triqueter) did not change. In contrast, two calcifying algae (Padina pavonica and Acetabularia acetabulum) reduced and changed mineralization with increasing pCO2, from aragonite to the less soluble calcium sulphates and whewellite, respectively. As pCO2 increased, the coral and mollusc abundance was severely reduced, with both species disappearing at pH < 7.8. Conversely, the two calcifying and a non-calcifying algae (Lobophora variegata) showed less severe or no reductions with increasing pCO2, and were all found at the lowest pH site. The mineralization response to decreasing pH suggests a link with the degree of control over the biomineralization process by the organism, as only species with lower control managed to thrive in the lowest pH.

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Figure 1: Range in pH total scale and mean percentage of cover for Balanophyllia europaea, Vermetus triqueter, Padina pavonica, Acetabularia acetabulum and Lobophora variegata along the pCO2 gradient.
Figure 2: Scanning electron microscope images of a longitudinal section of Vermetus triqueter shell-tube.
Figure 3: Scanning electron microscope images of Padina pavonica thalli and Acetabularia acetabulum cups.
Figure 4: In situ pictures of Padina pavonica and Acetabularia acetabulum at Sites 1 and 4, showing the reduction of calcified material (white areas) with increasing pCO2.

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Acknowledgements

I. Berman-Frank helped with alkalinity measurements. B. Basile, F. Sesso, and Eolo Sub diving centre assisted in the field. F. Gizzi and G. Polimeni helped during preparation and participated in field surveys. The Scientific Diving School supplied scientific, technical and logistical support. The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Research Council under the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP/2007-2013)/ERC Grant Agreement no. [249930 - CoralWarm].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological, Marine Science Group, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Section of Biology, Alma Mater Studiorum — University of Bologna, Via F. Selmi 3, 40126 Bologna, Italy

    Stefano Goffredo, Fiorella Prada, Erik Caroselli & Francesco Zaccanti

  2. Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Section of Geology, Alma Mater Studiorum — University of Bologna, Piazza di Porta S. Donato 1, 40127 Bologna, Italy

    Bruno Capaccioni

  3. Department of Physics and Astronomy, Alma Mater Studiorum — University of Bologna, Viale Berti Pichat 6/2, 40127 Bologna, Italy

    Luca Pasquini & Paola Fantazzini

  4. Centro Enrico Fermi, Piazza del Viminale 1, 00184 Rome, Italy

    Paola Fantazzini

  5. Department of Chemistry ‘G. Ciamician’, Alma Mater Studiorum — University of Bologna, Via F. Selmi 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy

    Simona Fermani, Michela Reggi & Giuseppe Falini

  6. The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar–Ilan University, 52900 Ramat–Gan, Israel

    Oren Levy & Zvy Dubinsky

  7. Australian Institute of Marine Science, PMB 3, Townsville 4810, Queensland, Australia

    Katharina E. Fabricius

Authors
  1. Stefano Goffredo
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Contributions

S.G., Z.D. and G.F. conceived and designed research. S.G., F.P., E.C. and B.C. collected the samples and performed the diving fieldwork. L.P., S.F., M.R. and G.F. performed the laboratory experiments. S.G., F.P., E.C., B.C., L.P., P.F., M.R., K.E.F. and G.F. analysed the data. All authors wrote the manuscript and participated in the scientific discussion.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Stefano Goffredo or Giuseppe Falini.

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Goffredo, S., Prada, F., Caroselli, E. et al. Biomineralization control related to population density under ocean acidification. Nature Clim Change 4, 593–597 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate2241

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