Chapter 15: Ecological impacts of ultraviolet-B radiation on marine ecosystems

• Main Authors: Moreau, S, Vidussi, F, Ferreyra, G, Mostajir, B
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford University Press 2016
• Subjects: Earth Sciences; Oceanography; Biological Oceanography; Antarc*; Antarctica; Ocean acidification
• Online Access: http://ecite.utas.edu.au/109564

Ultraviolet B radiation (UVBR, 280320 nm), the mostbiologically damaging portion of the solar spectrumreaching the Earth, received considerable scientific attentionafter the discovery of the spring stratosphericozone hole in the late 1970s over Antarctica. Recently,similar low ozone conditions were observed over theArctic and occasionally at lower latitudes. Furthermore,expected increases in ocean acidification, surfacewater temperatures, and modifications in thestructure of the water column due to global change exacerbatedgeneral concerns about the potential impactthat such changes may have on the structure of marinefood webs. In this chapter, we review the effects ofultraviolet-B radiation (UVBR) on various marine ecosystems.We start by providing a description of factorsthat influence the UVBR intensity, including latitude,season, stratospheric ozone layer thickness, and penetrationwithin the water column. Then, we depict theeffects of UVBR on the food webs of some importantmarine ecosystems such as polar oceans, coastal waters,fronts and upwellings, oceanic gyres, and benthicecosystems. Finally, we investigate the potential interactionsof enhanced UVBR along with other climatechange stressors such as global warming and oceanacidification.