Linking gene expression to productivity to unravel long- and short-term responses of seagrasses exposed to CO₂ in volcanic vents.

ABSTRACT: Ocean acidification is a major threat for marine life but seagrasses are expected to benefit from high CO₂. In situ (long-term) and transplanted (short-term) plant incubations of the seagrass Cymodocea nodosa were performed near and away the influence of volcanic CO₂ vents at Vulcano Island to test the hypothesis of beneficial effects of CO₂ on plant productivity. We relate, for the first time, the expression of photosynthetic, antioxidant and metal detoxification-related genes to net plant productivity (NPP). Results revealed a consistent pattern between gene expression and productivity indicating water origin as the main source of variability. However, the hypothesised beneficial effect of high CO₂ around vents was not supported. We observed a

SUBMITTER: Olive I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5304229 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature