Ideas and Perspectives: When ocean acidification experiments are not the same, repeatability is not tested

• Published in: Biogeosciences
• Main Authors: Williamson, Phillip, Poertner, Hans-Otto, Widdicombe, Steve, Gattuso, Jean-Pierre
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2021
• Subjects: Ocean acidification
• Online Access: https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/91366/; https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/91366/1/bg_18_1787_2021.pdf; https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-1787-2021

Can experimental studies on the behavioural impacts of ocean acidification be trusted? That question was raised in early 2020 when a high-profile paper failed to corroborate previously observed responses of coral reef fish to high CO2. New information on the methodologies used in the “replicated” studies now provides a plausible explanation: the experimental conditions were substantially different. High sensitivity to test conditions is characteristic of ocean acidification research; such response variability shows that effects are complex, interacting with many other factors. Open-minded assessment of all research results, both negative and positive, remains the best way to develop process-based understanding. As in other fields, replication studies in ocean acidification are most likely to contribute to scientific advancement when carried out in a spirit of collaboration rather than confrontation.