Anemone abundance and productivity at North Vulcano Island in May 2011 ...

• Main Authors: Suggett, David J, Hall-Spencer, Jason M, Rodolfo-Metalpa, Riccardo, Boatman, Toby G, Payton, Ross, Pettay, D Tye, Johnson, Vivienne R, Warner, Mark E, Lawson, Tracy
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: PANGAEA 2012
• Subjects: Sampling by hand; Mediterranean Sea Acidification in a Changing Climate MedSeA; Ocean acidification
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.1594/pangaea.789707; https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.789707

Increased seawater pCO2, and in turn 'ocean acidification' (OA), is predicted to profoundly impact marine ecosystem diversity and function this century. Much research has already focussed on calcifying reef-forming corals (Class: Anthozoa) that appear particularly susceptible to OA via reduced net calcification. However, here we show that OA-like conditions can simultaneously enhance the ecological success of non-calcifying anthozoans, which not only play key ecological and biogeochemical roles in present day benthic ecosystems but also represent a model organism should calcifying anthozoans exist as less calcified (soft-bodied) forms in future oceans. Increased growth (abundance and size) of the sea anemone (Anemonia viridis) population was observed along a natural CO2 gradient at Vulcano, Italy. Both gross photosynthesis (PG) and respiration (R) increased with pCO2 indicating that the increased growth was, at least in part, fuelled by bottom up (CO2 stimulation) of metabolism. The increase of PG outweighed ... : Supplement to: Suggett, David J; Hall-Spencer, Jason M; Rodolfo-Metalpa, Riccardo; Boatman, Toby G; Payton, Ross; Pettay, D Tye; Johnson, Vivienne R; Warner, Mark E; Lawson, Tracy (2012): Sea anemones may thrive in a high CO2 world. Global Change Biology, 18(10), 3015-3025 ...