Effects of ocean acidification and temperature on the physiology of juvenile scleractinian corals
Ocean acidification (OA) from the equilibration of atmospheric CO2 with seawater is predicted to negatively affect scleractinian reef corals over the 21st century. In adult corals, OA has been reported to reduce rates of coral calcification, induce coral bleaching, and affect coral respiration and t...
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California State University, Northridge
2013
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ftcalifstateuniv:oai:scholarworks:5138jh63s 2024-09-30T14:40:42+00:00 Effects of ocean acidification and temperature on the physiology of juvenile scleractinian corals Wall, Christopher Bennett Edmunds, Peter J. Dudgeon, Steven R. Carpenter, Robert C. Gates, Ruth 2013-01-09 http://hdl.handle.net/10211.2/2550 English eng California State University, Northridge Biology http://hdl.handle.net/10211.2/2550 Dissertations Academic -- CSUN -- Biology Metabolism Reef corals Calcification Ocean acidification Temperature Scleractinian Bleaching Masters Thesis 2013 ftcalifstateuniv 2024-09-10T17:06:19Z Ocean acidification (OA) from the equilibration of atmospheric CO2 with seawater is predicted to negatively affect scleractinian reef corals over the 21st century. In adult corals, OA has been reported to reduce rates of coral calcification, induce coral bleaching, and affect coral respiration and the photosynthetic productivity of the coral's algal symbiont Symbiodinium spp. However, OA effects on the early life-history stages of corals (e.g., larvae, newly settled recruits, juveniles) are less understood. In this thesis research, I used juvenile Seriatopora caliendrum from southern Taiwan, and massive Porites spp. from Moorea, French Polynesia, to experimentally evaluate the effects of OA on three important physiological processes of scleractinians: coral bleaching, calcification, and metabolism inferred through respiration and excretion rates. In Chapter II, using S. caliendrum, results from my research indicate that OA (841 μatm pCO2) does not affect juvenile S. caliendrum corals undergoing thermal bleaching at 30.53 °C, and OA alone does not result in coral bleaching under ambient temperatures (27.65 °C). Subsequently in Chapter III, I exposed juvenile massive Porites spp. to low-pH and elevated dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) seawater within sealed respirometers incubated in situ. I determined that low-pH (pHT 7.73, Ωarag = 2.27) at 976 μatm pCO2 had no effect on calcification, respiration, or the energetic expenditure concurrent with calcification relative to control conditions. However, elevated [DIC] (~3 mM) stimulated calcification under low-pH and low- Ωarag (pHT 7.69, Ωarag = 2.75), indicating calcification may be DIC limited under ambient [DIC] (~2 mM). These results agree with past studies identifying adult and juvenile massive Porites spp. as resistant to environmental stress, and emphasize the success and pragmatism of in situ designs for the future application of ecologically relevant OA experiments. Finally, in Chapter IV using S. caliendrum, I determined that OA (885 μatm pCO2) affected the ... Master Thesis Ocean acidification Scholarworks from California State University |
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Scholarworks from California State University |
op_collection_id |
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language |
English |
topic |
Dissertations Academic -- CSUN -- Biology Metabolism Reef corals Calcification Ocean acidification Temperature Scleractinian Bleaching |
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Dissertations Academic -- CSUN -- Biology Metabolism Reef corals Calcification Ocean acidification Temperature Scleractinian Bleaching Wall, Christopher Bennett Effects of ocean acidification and temperature on the physiology of juvenile scleractinian corals |
topic_facet |
Dissertations Academic -- CSUN -- Biology Metabolism Reef corals Calcification Ocean acidification Temperature Scleractinian Bleaching |
description |
Ocean acidification (OA) from the equilibration of atmospheric CO2 with seawater is predicted to negatively affect scleractinian reef corals over the 21st century. In adult corals, OA has been reported to reduce rates of coral calcification, induce coral bleaching, and affect coral respiration and the photosynthetic productivity of the coral's algal symbiont Symbiodinium spp. However, OA effects on the early life-history stages of corals (e.g., larvae, newly settled recruits, juveniles) are less understood. In this thesis research, I used juvenile Seriatopora caliendrum from southern Taiwan, and massive Porites spp. from Moorea, French Polynesia, to experimentally evaluate the effects of OA on three important physiological processes of scleractinians: coral bleaching, calcification, and metabolism inferred through respiration and excretion rates. In Chapter II, using S. caliendrum, results from my research indicate that OA (841 μatm pCO2) does not affect juvenile S. caliendrum corals undergoing thermal bleaching at 30.53 °C, and OA alone does not result in coral bleaching under ambient temperatures (27.65 °C). Subsequently in Chapter III, I exposed juvenile massive Porites spp. to low-pH and elevated dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) seawater within sealed respirometers incubated in situ. I determined that low-pH (pHT 7.73, Ωarag = 2.27) at 976 μatm pCO2 had no effect on calcification, respiration, or the energetic expenditure concurrent with calcification relative to control conditions. However, elevated [DIC] (~3 mM) stimulated calcification under low-pH and low- Ωarag (pHT 7.69, Ωarag = 2.75), indicating calcification may be DIC limited under ambient [DIC] (~2 mM). These results agree with past studies identifying adult and juvenile massive Porites spp. as resistant to environmental stress, and emphasize the success and pragmatism of in situ designs for the future application of ecologically relevant OA experiments. Finally, in Chapter IV using S. caliendrum, I determined that OA (885 μatm pCO2) affected the ... |
author2 |
Edmunds, Peter J. Dudgeon, Steven R. Carpenter, Robert C. Gates, Ruth |
format |
Master Thesis |
author |
Wall, Christopher Bennett |
author_facet |
Wall, Christopher Bennett |
author_sort |
Wall, Christopher Bennett |
title |
Effects of ocean acidification and temperature on the physiology of juvenile scleractinian corals |
title_short |
Effects of ocean acidification and temperature on the physiology of juvenile scleractinian corals |
title_full |
Effects of ocean acidification and temperature on the physiology of juvenile scleractinian corals |
title_fullStr |
Effects of ocean acidification and temperature on the physiology of juvenile scleractinian corals |
title_full_unstemmed |
Effects of ocean acidification and temperature on the physiology of juvenile scleractinian corals |
title_sort |
effects of ocean acidification and temperature on the physiology of juvenile scleractinian corals |
publisher |
California State University, Northridge |
publishDate |
2013 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/10211.2/2550 |
genre |
Ocean acidification |
genre_facet |
Ocean acidification |
op_relation |
http://hdl.handle.net/10211.2/2550 |
_version_ |
1811643182168932352 |