English

Andréas Andersson ,Meg Chadsey,Philip Goldstein,Nina Bednaršek,Ulf Riebesell,Adina Paytan,Astrid Schnetzer,Katherine Mackey,David I Kline ,Bruce A Menge ,Peter J Edmunds ,Ilsa B Kuffner ,Thomas P Hurst ,Stephen D Archer ,Andréa G Grottoli ,Mark J Warner ,Janet E Kübler ,Andrew L King ,Robert C Carpenter ,Richard C Zimmerman

doi:10.5670/oceanog.2015.27

Abstract

Ocean acidification (OA) research seeks to understand how marine ecosystems and global elemental cycles will respond to changes in seawater carbonate chemistry in combination with other environmental perturbations such as warming, eutrophication, and deoxygenation. Here, we discuss the effectiveness and limitations of current research approaches used to address this goal. A diverse combination of approaches is essential to decipher the consequences of OA to marine organisms, communities, and ecosystems. Consequently, the benefits and limitations of each approach must be considered carefully. Major research challenges involve experimentally addressing the effects of OA in the context of large natural variability in seawater carbonate system parameters and other interactive variables, integrating the results from different research approaches, and scaling results across different temporal and spatial scales.

Highlights

THE CHALLENGE Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, oceanic absorption of carbon dioxide (CO2) originating from human activity has increased surface seawater acidity by about 26% (Doney et al, 2009). This ocean acidification (OA), which has been well documented at multiple open ocean locations globally (Bates et al, 2014), is highly predictable from fundamental knowledge of the carbonate chemistry of seawater that controls pH
We focus this article on the following questions: 1. What current OA research approaches are effective? 2
RESEARCH CHALLENGES AND THE WAY FORWARD In spite of substantial efforts using a wide range of research approaches, there are still many outstanding knowledge gaps and challenges that need to be overcome to improve our projections of how ecosystems will change in response to OA

Summary

Ocean Acidification Impacts on Organismal to Ecological Scales

By Andreas J. Andersson*, David I. Kline*, Peter J. Edmunds, Stephen D. Archer, Nina Bednaršek, Robert C. Carpenter, Meg Chadsey, Philip Goldstein, Andrea G. Grottoli, Thomas P. Hurst, Andrew L. King, Janet E. Kübler, Ilsa B. Kuffner, Katherine R.M. Mackey, Bruce A. Menge, Adina Paytan, Ulf Riebesell, Astrid Schnetzer, Mark E. Warner, and Richard C. Zimmerman

BACKGROUND

Direct Effects Indirect Effects Adaptation Acclimation

Experiments and Manipulations

Building on Previous Knowledge

Findings

ARTICLE CITATION