Abiotic versus biotic drivers of ocean pH variation under fast sea ice in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica.
Ocean acidification is expected to have a major effect on the marine carbonate system over the next century, particularly in high latitude seas. Less appreciated is natural environmental variation within these systems, particularly in terms of pH, and how this natural variation may inform laboratory...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:325210a75e75485290a4fbf405370ad7 2023-05-15T14:00:35+02:00 Abiotic versus biotic drivers of ocean pH variation under fast sea ice in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. Paul G Matson Libe Washburn Todd R Martz Gretchen E Hofmann 2014-01-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0107239 https://doaj.org/article/325210a75e75485290a4fbf405370ad7 EN eng Public Library of Science (PLoS) http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4164564?pdf=render https://doaj.org/toc/1932-6203 1932-6203 doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0107239 https://doaj.org/article/325210a75e75485290a4fbf405370ad7 PLoS ONE, Vol 9, Iss 9, p e107239 (2014) Medicine R Science Q article 2014 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0107239 2022-12-31T12:53:07Z Ocean acidification is expected to have a major effect on the marine carbonate system over the next century, particularly in high latitude seas. Less appreciated is natural environmental variation within these systems, particularly in terms of pH, and how this natural variation may inform laboratory experiments. In this study, we deployed sensor-equipped moorings at 20 m depths at three locations in McMurdo Sound, comprising deep (bottom depth>200 m: Hut Point Peninsula) and shallow environments (bottom depth ∼25 m: Cape Evans and New Harbor). Our sensors recorded high-frequency variation in pH (Hut Point and Cape Evans only), tide (Cape Evans and New Harbor), and water mass properties (temperature and salinity) during spring and early summer 2011. These collective observations showed that (1) pH differed spatially both in terms of mean pH (Cape Evans: 8.009±0.015; Hut Point: 8.020±0.007) and range of pH (Cape Evans: 0.090; Hut Point: 0.036), and (2) pH was not related to the mixing of two water masses, suggesting that the observed pH variation is likely not driven by this abiotic process. Given the large daily fluctuation in pH at Cape Evans, we developed a simple mechanistic model to explore the potential for biotic processes--in this case algal photosynthesis--to increase pH by fixing carbon from the water column. For this model, we incorporated published photosynthetic parameters for the three dominant algal functional groups found at Cape Evans (benthic fleshy red macroalgae, crustose coralline algae, and sea ice algal communities) to estimate oxygen produced/carbon fixed from the water column underneath fast sea ice and the resulting pH change. These results suggest that biotic processes may be a primary driver of pH variation observed under fast sea ice at Cape Evans and potentially at other shallow sites in McMurdo Sound. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctica McMurdo Sound Ocean acidification Sea ice Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles McMurdo Sound Cape Evans ENVELOPE(161.550,161.550,-75.100,-75.100) Hut Point ENVELOPE(166.850,166.850,-77.767,-77.767) Hut Point Peninsula ENVELOPE(166.850,166.850,-77.767,-77.767) New Harbor ENVELOPE(163.850,163.850,-77.600,-77.600) PLoS ONE 9 9 e107239 |
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Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Medicine R Science Q |
spellingShingle |
Medicine R Science Q Paul G Matson Libe Washburn Todd R Martz Gretchen E Hofmann Abiotic versus biotic drivers of ocean pH variation under fast sea ice in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. |
topic_facet |
Medicine R Science Q |
description |
Ocean acidification is expected to have a major effect on the marine carbonate system over the next century, particularly in high latitude seas. Less appreciated is natural environmental variation within these systems, particularly in terms of pH, and how this natural variation may inform laboratory experiments. In this study, we deployed sensor-equipped moorings at 20 m depths at three locations in McMurdo Sound, comprising deep (bottom depth>200 m: Hut Point Peninsula) and shallow environments (bottom depth ∼25 m: Cape Evans and New Harbor). Our sensors recorded high-frequency variation in pH (Hut Point and Cape Evans only), tide (Cape Evans and New Harbor), and water mass properties (temperature and salinity) during spring and early summer 2011. These collective observations showed that (1) pH differed spatially both in terms of mean pH (Cape Evans: 8.009±0.015; Hut Point: 8.020±0.007) and range of pH (Cape Evans: 0.090; Hut Point: 0.036), and (2) pH was not related to the mixing of two water masses, suggesting that the observed pH variation is likely not driven by this abiotic process. Given the large daily fluctuation in pH at Cape Evans, we developed a simple mechanistic model to explore the potential for biotic processes--in this case algal photosynthesis--to increase pH by fixing carbon from the water column. For this model, we incorporated published photosynthetic parameters for the three dominant algal functional groups found at Cape Evans (benthic fleshy red macroalgae, crustose coralline algae, and sea ice algal communities) to estimate oxygen produced/carbon fixed from the water column underneath fast sea ice and the resulting pH change. These results suggest that biotic processes may be a primary driver of pH variation observed under fast sea ice at Cape Evans and potentially at other shallow sites in McMurdo Sound. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Paul G Matson Libe Washburn Todd R Martz Gretchen E Hofmann |
author_facet |
Paul G Matson Libe Washburn Todd R Martz Gretchen E Hofmann |
author_sort |
Paul G Matson |
title |
Abiotic versus biotic drivers of ocean pH variation under fast sea ice in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. |
title_short |
Abiotic versus biotic drivers of ocean pH variation under fast sea ice in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. |
title_full |
Abiotic versus biotic drivers of ocean pH variation under fast sea ice in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. |
title_fullStr |
Abiotic versus biotic drivers of ocean pH variation under fast sea ice in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. |
title_full_unstemmed |
Abiotic versus biotic drivers of ocean pH variation under fast sea ice in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. |
title_sort |
abiotic versus biotic drivers of ocean ph variation under fast sea ice in mcmurdo sound, antarctica. |
publisher |
Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
publishDate |
2014 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0107239 https://doaj.org/article/325210a75e75485290a4fbf405370ad7 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(161.550,161.550,-75.100,-75.100) ENVELOPE(166.850,166.850,-77.767,-77.767) ENVELOPE(166.850,166.850,-77.767,-77.767) ENVELOPE(163.850,163.850,-77.600,-77.600) |
geographic |
McMurdo Sound Cape Evans Hut Point Hut Point Peninsula New Harbor |
geographic_facet |
McMurdo Sound Cape Evans Hut Point Hut Point Peninsula New Harbor |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctica McMurdo Sound Ocean acidification Sea ice |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctica McMurdo Sound Ocean acidification Sea ice |
op_source |
PLoS ONE, Vol 9, Iss 9, p e107239 (2014) |
op_relation |
http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4164564?pdf=render https://doaj.org/toc/1932-6203 1932-6203 doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0107239 https://doaj.org/article/325210a75e75485290a4fbf405370ad7 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0107239 |
container_title |
PLoS ONE |
container_volume |
9 |
container_issue |
9 |
container_start_page |
e107239 |
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1766269810190057472 |