THE EFFECT OF pH ON THE DIVISION RATE OF THE COCCOLITHOPHORID CRICOSPHAERA ELONGATA(1)

Universal response pattern of phytoplankton growth rates to increasing CO2

Phytoplankton growth rate is a key variable controlling species succession and ecosystem structure throughout the surface ocean. Carbonate chemistry conditions are known to influence phytoplankton growth rates but there is no conceptual framework allowing us to compare growth rate responses across taxa. Here we analyse the literature to show that phytoplankton growth rates follow an optimum curve response pattern whenever the tested species is exposed to a sufficiently large gradient in proton (H⁺ ) concentrations. Based on previous findings with coccolithophores and diatoms, we argue that this 'universal reaction norm' is shaped by the stimulating influence of increasing inorganic carbon substrate (left side of the optimum) and the inhibiting influence of increase H⁺ (right side of the optimum). We envisage that exploration of carbonate chemistry-dependent optimum curves as a default experimental approach will boost our mechanistic understanding of phytoplankton responses to ocean acidification, like temperature curves have already boosted our mechanistic understanding to global warming.

Difference in physiological responses of growth, photosynthesis and calcification of the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi to acidification by acid and CO2 enrichment

Ocean acidification, one of the great global environmental issues at present, is expected to result in serious damage on marine calcareous organisms such as corals and calcifying algae, which potentially release huge amounts of CO2 from the ocean to the atmosphere. The coccolithophore, Emiliania huxleyi (Haptophyceae), which frequently produces blooms, has greatly contributed to the biological CO2 pump. This study was aimed at analyzing effects of how E. huxleyi responds to acidification. Acidification was performed by two methods, namely by just adding HCl under bubbling ordinary air at 8.2-8.4, 7.6-7.8 and 7.1-7.3 (acidification by HCl) and by bubbling with ordinary air or with increased CO2 concentration such as 406, 816 and 1,192 ppm that maintained pH of the medium at 8.0-8.3, 7.6-7.9 and 7.5-7.7 (acidification by CO2 enrichment). As a result, cell growth and cellular calcification of E. huxleyi were strongly damaged by acidification by HCl, but not by acidification by CO2 enrichment. The activities of photosystems such as F v/F m and ϕPSII were not affected by any acidification conditions while photosynthetic O2 evolution was slightly stimulated. A (45)Ca-radiotracer experiment revealed that Ca(2+)-uptake was strongly suppressed by acidification with HCl. This suppression recovered after increasing the dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) concentration and further stimulated by an additional increase in DIC concentration. The production of storage and coccolith polysaccharides was increased by acidification by HCl and also highly stimulated by acidification with CO2 enrichment. The present study clearly showed that the coccolithophore, E. huxleyi, has an ability to respond positively to acidification with CO2 enrichment, but not just acidification.