Ocean acidification at high latitudes: potential effects on functioning of the Antarctic bivalve Laternula elliptica.

ABSTRACT: Ocean acidification is a well recognised threat to marine ecosystems. High latitude regions are predicted to be particularly affected due to cold waters and naturally low carbonate saturation levels. This is of concern for organisms utilising calcium carbonate (CaCO(3)) to generate shells or skeletons. Studies of potential effects of future levels of pCO(2) on high latitude calcifiers are at present limited, and there is little understanding of their potential to acclimate to these changes. We describe a laboratory experiment to compare physiological and metabolic responses of a key benthic bivalve, Laternula elliptica, at pCO(2) levels of their natural environment (430 µatm, pH 7.99; based on field measurements) with those predicted for 2100 (735 µatm, pH 7.78) and glacial levels (187 µat

SUBMITTER: Cummings V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3016332 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature