Ocean acidification-induced restructuring of the plankton food web can influence the degradation of sinking particles

Stange, P., Taucher, J., Bach, L. T., Algueró-Muñiz, M. , Horn, H. G., Krebs, L., Boxhammer, T., Nauendorf, A. K. and Riebesell, U. (2018) Ocean acidification-induced restructuring of the plankton food web can influence the degradation of sinking particles. Frontiers in Marine Science, 5, 140. (doi: 10.3389/fmars.2018.00140)

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Abstract

Ocean acidification (OA) is expected to alter plankton community structure in the future ocean. This, in turn, could change the composition of sinking organic matter and the efficiency of the biological carbon pump. So far, most OA experiments involving entire plankton communities have been conducted in meso- to eutrophic environments. However, recent studies suggest that OA effects may be more pronounced during prolonged periods of nutrient limitation. In this study, we investigated how OA-induced changes in low-nutrient adapted plankton communities of the subtropical North Atlantic Ocean may affect particulate organic matter (POM) standing stocks, POM fluxes, and POM stoichiometry. More specifically, we compared the elemental composition of POM suspended in the water column to the corresponding sinking material collected in sediment traps. Three weeks into the experiment, we simulated a natural upwelling event by adding nutrient-rich deep-water to all mesocosms, which induced a diatom-dominated phytoplankton bloom. Our results show that POM was more efficiently retained in the water column in the highest CO2 treatment levels (>800 μatm pCO2) subsequent to this bloom. We further observed significantly lower C:N and C:P ratios in post-bloom sedimented POM in the highest CO2 treatments, suggesting that degradation processes were less pronounced. This trend is most likely explained by differences in micro- and mesozooplankton abundance during the bloom and post-bloom phase. Overall, this study shows that OA can indirectly alter POM fluxes and stoichiometry in subtropical environments through changes in plankton community structure.

Item Type:Articles
Additional Information:This project was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) in the framework of the coordinated project BIOACID—Biological Impacts of Ocean Acidification, phase 2 (FKZ 03F06550). UR received additional funding from the Leibniz Award 2012 by the German Research Foundation (DFG).
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Alguero-Muniz, Dr Maria
Authors: Stange, P., Taucher, J., Bach, L. T., Algueró-Muñiz, M., Horn, H. G., Krebs, L., Boxhammer, T., Nauendorf, A. K., and Riebesell, U.
College/School:College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine
Journal Name:Frontiers in Marine Science
Publisher:Frontiers Media
ISSN:2296-7745
Published Online:25 April 2018
Copyright Holders:Copyright © 2018 Stange, Taucher, Bach, Algueró-Muñiz, Horn, Krebs, Boxhammer, Nauendorf and Riebesell
First Published:First published in Frontiers in Marine Science 5: 140
Publisher Policy:Reproduced under a Creative Commons licence

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