The future of the northeast Atlantic benthic flora in a high CO2 world

• Published in: Ecology and Evolution
• Main Authors: Brodie, Juliet, Williamson, Christopher J., Smale, Dan A., Kamenos, Nicholas A., Mieszkowska, Nova, Santos, Rui, Cunliffe, Michael, Steinke, Michael, Yesson, Christopher, Anderson, Kathryn M., Asnaghi, Valentina, Brownlee, Colin, Burdett, Heidi L., Burrows, Michael T., Collins, Sinead, Donohue, Penelope J. C., Harvey, Ben, Foggo, Andrew, Noisette, Fanny, Nunes, Joana, Ragazzola, Federica, Raven, John A., Schmidt, Daniela N., Suggett, David, Teichberg, Mirta, Hall-Spencer, Jason M.
• Other Authors: Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum London (NHM), School of Earth and Ocean Sciences Cardiff, Cardiff University, Marine Biological Association, National Oceanography Centre Southampton (NOC), University of Southampton, School of Geographical and Earth Sciences, University of Glasgow, Marine Plant Ecology Research Group (ALGAE), Centre of Marine Sciences Faro (CCMAR), University of Algarve Portugal -University of Algarve Portugal, School of Biological Sciences Colchester, University of Essex, Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Department of Zoology (The University of British Columbia), University of British Columbia (UBC), Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences (DISTAV), Università degli studi di Genova = University of Genoa (UniGe), Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews Scotland, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences University St Andrews, Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh (Edin.), Marine Biology and Ecology Research Centre, Plymouth University, Ecogéochimie et Fonctionnement des Ecosystèmes Benthiques (EFEB), Adaptation et diversité en milieu marin (AD2M), Station biologique de Roscoff Roscoff (SBR), Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Station biologique de Roscoff Roscoff (SBR), Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML), School of Earth Sciences Bristol, University of Bristol Bristol, Plant Functional Biology and Climate Change Cluster (C3), University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Division of Plant Sciences, University of Dundee, Leibniz-Zentrum für Marine Tropenökologie, UK Ocean Acidification Research Programme - NERC, UK Ocean Acidification Research Programme - Defra, UK Ocean Acidification Research Programme - DECC, NERC OARP NE/H016996/1
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2014
• Subjects: Calcified algae; climate change; invasive species; macroalgae; microphytobenthos; seagrasses; volatile gases; [SDV]Life Sciences [q-bio]; [SDE]Environmental Sciences; Northeast Atlantic; Ocean acidification
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-01255946; https://hal.science/hal-01255946/document; https://hal.science/hal-01255946/file/ece31105.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.1105

International audience Seaweed and seagrass communities in the northeast Atlantic have been profoundly impacted by humans, and the rate of change is accelerating rapidly due to runaway CO2 emissions and mounting pressures on coastlines associated with human population growth and increased consumption of finite resources. Here, we predict how rapid warming and acidification are likely to affect benthic flora and coastal ecosystems of the northeast Atlantic in this century, based on global evidence from the literature as interpreted by the collective knowledge of the authorship. We predict that warming will kill off kelp forests in the south and that ocean acidification will remove maerl habitat in the north. Seagrasses will proliferate, and associated epiphytes switch from calcified algae to diatoms and filamentous species. Invasive species will thrive in niches liberated by loss of native species and spread via exponential development of artificial marine structures. Combined impacts of seawater warming, ocean acidification, and increased storminess may replace structurally diverse seaweed canopies, with associated calcified and noncalcified flora, with simple habitats dominated by noncalcified, turf-forming seaweeds.