Forecasting ocean acidification impacts on kelp forest ecosystems
Ocean acidification is one the biggest threats to marine ecosystems worldwide, but its ecosystem wide responses are still poorly understood. This study integrates field and experimental data into a mass balance food web model of a temperate coastal ecosystem to determine the impacts of specific OA f...
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2021
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ftcdlib:oai:escholarship.org:ark:/13030/qt2tp030sf 2023-11-05T03:44:27+01:00 Forecasting ocean acidification impacts on kelp forest ecosystems Schlenger, Adam J Beas-Luna, Rodrigo Ambrose, Richard F Cornwall, Christopher Edward e0236218 2021-01-01 application/pdf https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2tp030sf unknown eScholarship, University of California qt2tp030sf https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2tp030sf public PLOS ONE, vol 16, iss 4 Oceanography Ecological Applications Biological Sciences Ecology Environmental Management Earth Sciences Environmental Sciences Life Below Water Acids Animals Biodiversity Biomass Conservation of Natural Resources Ecosystem Fishes Food Chain Hydrogen-Ion Concentration Kelp Oceans and Seas Seawater General Science & Technology article 2021 ftcdlib 2023-10-09T18:05:00Z Ocean acidification is one the biggest threats to marine ecosystems worldwide, but its ecosystem wide responses are still poorly understood. This study integrates field and experimental data into a mass balance food web model of a temperate coastal ecosystem to determine the impacts of specific OA forcing mechanisms as well as how they interact with one another. Specifically, we forced a food web model of a kelp forest ecosystem near its southern distribution limit in the California large marine ecosystem to a 0.5 pH drop over the course of 50 years. This study utilizes a modeling approach to determine the impacts of specific OA forcing mechanisms as well as how they interact. Isolating OA impacts on growth (Production), mortality (Other Mortality), and predation interactions (Vulnerability) or combining all three mechanisms together leads to a variety of ecosystem responses, with some taxa increasing in abundance and other decreasing. Results suggest that carbonate mineralizing groups such as coralline algae, abalone, snails, and lobsters display the largest decreases in biomass while macroalgae, urchins, and some larger fish species display the largest increases. Low trophic level groups such as giant kelp and brown algae increase in biomass by 16% and 71%, respectively. Due to the diverse way in which OA stress manifests at both individual and population levels, ecosystem-level effects can vary and display nonlinear patterns. Combined OA forcing leads to initial increases in ecosystem and commercial biomasses followed by a decrease in commercial biomass below initial values over time, while ecosystem biomass remains high. Both biodiversity and average trophic level decrease over time. These projections indicate that the kelp forest community would maintain high productivity with a 0.5 drop in pH, but with a substantially different community structure characterized by lower biodiversity and relatively greater dominance by lower trophic level organisms. Article in Journal/Newspaper Ocean acidification University of California: eScholarship |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of California: eScholarship |
op_collection_id |
ftcdlib |
language |
unknown |
topic |
Oceanography Ecological Applications Biological Sciences Ecology Environmental Management Earth Sciences Environmental Sciences Life Below Water Acids Animals Biodiversity Biomass Conservation of Natural Resources Ecosystem Fishes Food Chain Hydrogen-Ion Concentration Kelp Oceans and Seas Seawater General Science & Technology |
spellingShingle |
Oceanography Ecological Applications Biological Sciences Ecology Environmental Management Earth Sciences Environmental Sciences Life Below Water Acids Animals Biodiversity Biomass Conservation of Natural Resources Ecosystem Fishes Food Chain Hydrogen-Ion Concentration Kelp Oceans and Seas Seawater General Science & Technology Schlenger, Adam J Beas-Luna, Rodrigo Ambrose, Richard F Forecasting ocean acidification impacts on kelp forest ecosystems |
topic_facet |
Oceanography Ecological Applications Biological Sciences Ecology Environmental Management Earth Sciences Environmental Sciences Life Below Water Acids Animals Biodiversity Biomass Conservation of Natural Resources Ecosystem Fishes Food Chain Hydrogen-Ion Concentration Kelp Oceans and Seas Seawater General Science & Technology |
description |
Ocean acidification is one the biggest threats to marine ecosystems worldwide, but its ecosystem wide responses are still poorly understood. This study integrates field and experimental data into a mass balance food web model of a temperate coastal ecosystem to determine the impacts of specific OA forcing mechanisms as well as how they interact with one another. Specifically, we forced a food web model of a kelp forest ecosystem near its southern distribution limit in the California large marine ecosystem to a 0.5 pH drop over the course of 50 years. This study utilizes a modeling approach to determine the impacts of specific OA forcing mechanisms as well as how they interact. Isolating OA impacts on growth (Production), mortality (Other Mortality), and predation interactions (Vulnerability) or combining all three mechanisms together leads to a variety of ecosystem responses, with some taxa increasing in abundance and other decreasing. Results suggest that carbonate mineralizing groups such as coralline algae, abalone, snails, and lobsters display the largest decreases in biomass while macroalgae, urchins, and some larger fish species display the largest increases. Low trophic level groups such as giant kelp and brown algae increase in biomass by 16% and 71%, respectively. Due to the diverse way in which OA stress manifests at both individual and population levels, ecosystem-level effects can vary and display nonlinear patterns. Combined OA forcing leads to initial increases in ecosystem and commercial biomasses followed by a decrease in commercial biomass below initial values over time, while ecosystem biomass remains high. Both biodiversity and average trophic level decrease over time. These projections indicate that the kelp forest community would maintain high productivity with a 0.5 drop in pH, but with a substantially different community structure characterized by lower biodiversity and relatively greater dominance by lower trophic level organisms. |
author2 |
Cornwall, Christopher Edward |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Schlenger, Adam J Beas-Luna, Rodrigo Ambrose, Richard F |
author_facet |
Schlenger, Adam J Beas-Luna, Rodrigo Ambrose, Richard F |
author_sort |
Schlenger, Adam J |
title |
Forecasting ocean acidification impacts on kelp forest ecosystems |
title_short |
Forecasting ocean acidification impacts on kelp forest ecosystems |
title_full |
Forecasting ocean acidification impacts on kelp forest ecosystems |
title_fullStr |
Forecasting ocean acidification impacts on kelp forest ecosystems |
title_full_unstemmed |
Forecasting ocean acidification impacts on kelp forest ecosystems |
title_sort |
forecasting ocean acidification impacts on kelp forest ecosystems |
publisher |
eScholarship, University of California |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2tp030sf |
op_coverage |
e0236218 |
genre |
Ocean acidification |
genre_facet |
Ocean acidification |
op_source |
PLOS ONE, vol 16, iss 4 |
op_relation |
qt2tp030sf https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2tp030sf |
op_rights |
public |
_version_ |
1781704366761181184 |