| Summary: | Climate change impacts are of ever growing concern to the science community and public alike. To better understand these impacts on primary producers, biofilm exposed to varying temperatures and pCO2 conditions in the field and laboratory, was analysed. Rock chippings were collected at three sites (Vulcano, Italy) along a gradient; denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis profile analysis showed a clear decrease/shift in genetic diversity in biofilm samples. A comparison laboratory study was set up using a mesocosm, simulating six climate change scenarios; biofilm slides exposed to treatments with increased pCO2 significantly decrease the diatom count compared to ambient pCO2 levels. This study therefore characterises biofilm in response to controlled environments determined from predicted Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change levels as well as biofilm material collected from an area of natural CO2 seabed seeps on rock. Results build on the understanding of how a future increase in temperature and ocean acidification will impact on coastal ecosystems. In collaboration with the Marine Biological Association, Plymouth, UK
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