Biomineralization control related to population density under ocean acidification.

ABSTRACT: Anthropogenic CO₂ is a major driver of current environmental change in most ecosystems¹, and the related ocean acidification (OA) is threatening marine biota². With increasing pCO₂, calcification rates of several species decrease³, although cases of up-regulation 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

SUBMITTER: Goffredo S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4110709 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature