CO2 Seeps Research Articles

Microbial ecology: Linking omics to biogeochemistry.

Natural volcanic CO2 seeps (mofettes) provided a natural experiment to use omic and biogeochemical approaches to explore how flooding a system with CO2 impacts algal photosynthesis and methanogenesis.

Effects of ocean acidification on embryonic respiration and development of a temperate wrasse living along a natural CO2 gradient.

Volcanic CO2 seeps provide opportunities to investigate the effects of ocean acidification on organisms in the wild. To understand the influence of increasing CO2 concentrations on the metabolic rate (oxygen consumption) and the development of ocellated wrasse early life stages, we ran two field experiments, collecting embryos from nesting sites with different partial pressures of CO2 [pCO2; ambient (∼400 µatm) and high (800-1000 µatm)] and reciprocally transplanting embryos from ambient- to high-CO2 sites for 30 h. Ocellated wrasse offspring brooded in different CO2 conditions had similar responses, but after transplanting portions of nests to the high-CO2 site, embryos from parents that spawned in ambient conditions had higher metabolic rates. Although metabolic phenotypic plasticity may show a positive response to high CO2, it often comes at a cost, in this case as a smaller size at hatching. This can have adverse effects because smaller larvae often exhibit a lower survival in the wild. However, the adverse effects of increased CO2 on metabolism and development did not occur when embryos from the high-CO2 nesting site were exposed to ambient conditions, suggesting that offspring from the high-CO2 nesting site could be resilient to a wider range of pCO2 values than those belonging to the site with present-day pCO2 levels. Our study identifies a crucial need to increase the number of studies dealing with these processes under global change trajectories and to expand these to naturally high-CO2 environments, in order to assess further the adaptive plasticity mechanism that encompasses non-genetic inheritance (epigenetics) through parental exposure and other downstream consequences, such as survival of larvae.

Temporal fluctuations in seawater pCO2 may be as important as mean differences when determining physiological sensitivity in natural systems

AbstractMost studies assessing the impacts of ocean acidification (OA) on benthic marine invertebrates have used stable mean pH/pCO2 levels to highlight variation in the physiological sensitivities in a range of taxa. However, many marine environments experience natural fluctuations in carbonate chemistry, and to date little attempt has been made to understand the effect of naturally fluctuating seawater pCO2 (pCO2sw) on the physiological capacity of organisms to maintain acid–base homeostasis. Here, for the first time, we exposed two species of sea urchin with different acid–base tolerances, Paracentrotus lividus and Arbacia lixula, to naturally fluctuating pCO2sw conditions at shallow water CO2 seep systems (Vulcano, Italy) and assessed their acid–base responses. Both sea urchin species experienced fluctuations in extracellular coelomic fluid pH, pCO2, and [HCO3−] (pHe, pCO2e, and [HCO3−]e, respectively) in line with fluctuations in pCO2sw. The less tolerant species, P. lividus, had the greatest capacity for [HCO3−]e buffering in response to acute pCO2sw fluctuations, but it also experienced greater extracellular hypercapnia and acidification and was thus unable to fully compensate for acid–base disturbances. Conversely, the more tolerant A. lixula relied on non-bicarbonate protein buffering and greater respiratory control. In the light of these findings, we discuss the possible energetic consequences of increased reliance on bicarbonate buffering activity in P. lividus compared with A. lixula and how these differing physiological responses to acute fluctuations in pCO2sw may be as important as chronic responses to mean changes in pCO2sw when considering how CO2 emissions will affect survival and success of marine organisms within naturally assembled systems.

Biochemical responses to ocean acidification contrast between tropical corals with high and low abundances at volcanic carbon dioxide seeps

AbstractAt two natural volcanic seeps in Papua New Guinea, the partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2) in the seawater is consistent with projections for 2100. Here, the cover of massive scleractinian corals Porites spp. is twice as high at elevated compared with ambient pCO2, while that of branching corals such as Acropora millepora is greater than twofold reduced. To assess the underlying mechanisms for such community shifts under long-term exposure to elevated pCO2, biochemical parameters related to tissue biomass, energy storage, pigmentation, cell protection, and cell damage were compared between Porites spp. and A. millepora from control (mean pHtotal = 8.1, pCO2 = 323 µatm) and CO2 seep sites (mean pHtotal = 7.8, pCO2 = 803 µatm) each at two reefs. In Porites spp., only one of the biochemical parameters investigated (the ratio of photoprotective to light-harvesting pigments) responded to pCO2, while tissue biomass, total lipids, total proteins, and some pigments differed between the two reefs, possibly reflecting differences in food availability. Furthermore, some fatty acids showed pCO2 –reef interactions. In A. millepora, most pigments investigated were reduced at elevated pCO2, while other parameters (e.g. tissue biomass, total proteins, total lipids, protein carbonyls, some fatty acids and pigments) differed between reefs or showed pCO2–reef interactions. Tissue biomass, total lipids, and cell-protective capacities were distinctly higher in Porites spp. than in A. millepora, indicating higher resistance to environmental stress in massive Porites. However, our data suggest that important biochemical measures remain relatively unaffected in these two coral species in response to elevated pCO2 up to 800 µatm, with most responses being smaller than differences between species and locations, and also when compared with responses to other environmental stressors such as ocean warming.

Microsensor studies on Padina from a natural CO2 seep: implications of morphology on acclimation to low pH.

Low seawater pH can be harmful to many calcifying marine organisms, but the calcifying macroalgae Padina spp. flourish at natural submarine carbon dioxide seeps where seawater pH is low. We show that the microenvironment created by the rolled thallus margin of Padina australis facilitates supersaturation of CaCO3 and calcifi-cation via photosynthesis-induced elevated pH. Using microsensors to investigate oxygen and pH dynamics in the microenvironment of P.australis at a shallow CO2 seep, we found that, under saturating light, the pH inside the microenvironment (pHME ) was higher than the external seawater (pHSW ) at all pHSW levels investigated, and the difference (i.e., pHME - pHSW ) increased with decreasing pHSW (0.9 units at pHSW 7.0). Gross photosynthesis (Pg ) inside the microenvironment increased with decreasing pHSW , but algae from the control site reached a threshold at pH 6.5. Seep algae showed no pH threshold with respect to Pg within the pHSW range investigated. The external carbonic anhydrase (CA) inhibitor, acetazolamide, strongly inhibited Pg of P.australis at pHSW 8.2, but the effect was diminished under low pHSW (6.4-7.5), suggesting a greater dependence on membrane-bound CA for the dehydration of HCO3 (-) ions during dissolved inorganic carbon uptake at the higher pHSW . In comparison, a calcifying green alga, Halimeda cuneata f. digitata, was not inhibited by AZ, suggesting efficient bicarbonate transport. The ability of P.australis to elevate pHME at the site of calcification and its strong dependence on CA may explain why it can thrive at low pHSW .

Ocean acidification affects productivity but not the severity of thermal bleaching in some tropical corals

Abstract Increasing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are raising sea surface temperature (SST) and causing ocean acidification (OA). While higher SST increases the frequency of mass coral bleaching events, it is unclear how OA will interact to affect this process. In this study, we combine in situ bleaching surveys around three tropical CO2 seeps with a 2-month two-factor (CO2 and temperature) tank experiment to investigate how OA and SST in combination will affect the bleaching susceptibility of tropical reef corals. Surveys at CO2 seep and control sites during a minor regional bleaching event gave little indication that elevated pCO2 influenced the bleaching susceptibility of the wider coral community, the four most common coral families (Acroporidae, Faviidae, Pocilloporidae, or Poritidae), or the thermally sensitive coral species Seriatopora hystrix. In the tank experiment, sublethal bleaching was observed at 31°C after 5 d in S. hystrix and 12 d in Acropora millepora, whereas controls (28°C) did not bleach. None of the measured proxies for coral bleaching was negatively affected by elevated pCO2 at pHT 7.79 (vs. 7.95 pHT in controls), equivalent to ∼780 µatm pCO2 and an aragonite saturation state of 2.5. On the contrary, high pCO2 benefitted some photophysiological measures (although temperature effects were much stronger than CO2 effects): maximum photosystem II quantum yields and light-limited electron transport rates increased in both species at high pCO2, whereas gross photosynthesis and pigment concentrations increased in S. hystrix at high pCO2. The field and laboratory data in combination suggest that OA levels up to a pHT of 7.8 will have little effect on the sensitivity of tropical corals to thermal bleaching. Indeed, some species appear to be able to utilize the more abundant dissolved inorganic carbon to increase productivity; however, these gains offset only a small proportion of the massive bleaching-related energy losses during thermal stress.

Geochemistry of two shallow CO2 seeps in Shikine Island (Japan) and their potential for ocean acidification research

Shallow CO2 seeps, where CO2 gas is venting underwater, offer great potential for studies into the effects of ocean acidification at the ecosystem level. To our knowledge, only two tropical system and two temperate systems of such seeps have been described worldwide. Here we describe two new temperate systems: the Mikama Bay and Ashitsuke sites, located on Shikine Island, Japan. The Mikama Bay site is located in a shallow bay. Investigation of the gas and water chemistry showed that the gas contained 98% CO2 and up to 90 ppm H2S. Total alkalinity was constant in time and space with an average of 2265±10 μ mol kg−1. Mapping of Eh and pH showed that the low pH zones were the largest when currents were moderate. Under moderate currents, Eh values were globally higher and total sulfides concentration lower, supporting that a longer residence time of the bay water allow the oxidation of the sulfides to sulfates. Zones suitable for acidification studies: with a pH lower than 8.0, low saturation state of calcite and aragonite, and non-detectable sulfide concentration, can be defined a few meters from the main venting zone. The second site, Ashitsuke, is located in the inter-tidal zone on a shore composed of boulders. Several areas showed reduced pH sometimes restricted to a few meters and up to 20 m long along the shoreline. Temperature was higher in some of the reduced pH zones suggesting the presence of hot springs in addition to vents. This paper also highlights the need for discovering additional CO2 seeps, which by their nature often lack comparable replicates and can be confounded by factors other than CO2. In this regard, Japan offers great potential as it is home to numerous active volcanoes, representing potential venting sites in climates ranging from tropical to sub-polar.

Biochemical adaptation to ocean acidification

The change in oceanic carbonate chemistry due to increased atmospheric PCO2 has caused pH to decline in marine surface waters, a phenomenon known as ocean acidification (OA). The effects of OA on organisms have been shown to be widespread among diverse taxa from a wide range of habitats. The majority of studies of organismal response to OA are in short-term exposures to future levels of PCO2 . From such studies, much information has been gathered on plastic responses organisms may make in the future that are beneficial or harmful to fitness. Relatively few studies have examined whether organisms can adapt to negative-fitness consequences of plastic responses to OA. We outline major approaches that have been used to study the adaptive potential for organisms to OA, which include comparative studies and experimental evolution. Organisms that inhabit a range of pH environments (e.g. pH gradients at volcanic CO2 seeps or in upwelling zones) have great potential for studies that identify adaptive shifts that have occurred through evolution. Comparative studies have advanced our understanding of adaptation to OA by linking whole-organism responses with cellular mechanisms. Such optimization of function provides a link between genetic variation and adaptive evolution in tuning optimal function of rate-limiting cellular processes in different pH conditions. For example, in experimental evolution studies of organisms with short generation times (e.g. phytoplankton), hundreds of generations of growth under future conditions has resulted in fixed differences in gene expression related to acid-base regulation. However, biochemical mechanisms for adaptive responses to OA have yet to be fully characterized, and are likely to be more complex than simply changes in gene expression or protein modification. Finally, we present a hypothesis regarding an unexplored area for biochemical adaptation to ocean acidification. In this hypothesis, proteins and membranes exposed to the external environment, such as epithelial tissues, may be susceptible to changes in external pH. Such biochemical systems could be adapted to a reduced pH environment by adjustment of weak bonds in an analogous fashion to biochemical adaptation to temperature. Whether such biochemical adaptation to OA exists remains to be discovered.

Macroalgal responses to ocean acidification depend on nutrient and light levels

Ocean acidification may benefit algae that are able to capitalise on increased carbon availability for photosynthesis but is expected to have adverse effects on calcified algae through dissolution. Shifts in dominance between primary producers will have knock-on effects on marine ecosystems and will likely vary regionally, depending on factors such as irradiance (light vs shade) and nutrient levels (oligotrophic vs eutrophic). Thus experiments are needed to evaluate interactive effects of combined stressors in the field. In this study, we investigated the physiological responses of macroalgae near a CO2 seep in oligotrophic waters off Vulcano (Italy). The algae were incubated in situ at 0.2 m depth using a combination of three mean CO2 levels (500, 700-800 and 1200 µatm CO2), two light levels (100 and 70% of surface irradiance) and two nutrient levels of N, P, and K (enriched vs non-enriched treatments) in the non-calcified macroalga Cystoseira compressa (Phaeophyceae, Fucales) and calcified Padina pavonica (Phaeophyceae, Dictyotales). A suite of biochemical assays and in vivo chlorophyll a fluorescence parameters showed that elevated CO2 levels benefitted both of these algae, although their responses varied depending on light and nutrient availability. In C. compressa, elevated CO2 treatments resulted in higher carbon content and antioxidant activity in shaded conditions both with and without nutrient enrichment - they had more Chla, phenolic and fucoxanthin with nutrient enrichment and higher quantum yield (Fv/Fm) and photosynthetic efficiency (αETR) without nutrient enrichment. In P. pavonica, elevated CO2 treatments had higher carbon content, Fv/Fm, αETR, and Chla regardless of nutrient levels - they had higher concentrations of phenolic compounds in nutrient enriched, fully-lit conditions and more antioxidants in shaded, nutrient enriched conditions. Nitrogen content increased significantly in fertilised treatments, confirming that these algae were nutrient

Coastal monitoring strategy for geochemical detection of fugitive CO2 seeps from the seabed

A simple plume model is used to examine the near-field (100km2) dispersion characteristics of dissolved CO2 leaking from a small-area seabed seep in a vertically well-mixed coastal environment. We demonstrate how prior knowledge of the advective flow can be used to aid optimal positioning of monitoring stations capable of detecting seeps from anywhere in the area. As an example, a three-detector layout is proposed for a test site in Bass Strait, Australia, and an associated seep detection limit and monitoring time-scale for seep confirmation is identified. Dilution of the dissolved plume places strict limits on the minimum seep size that can be detected and depends non-linearly on the number of instruments used. Implications of the patchy nature of the dissolved plume, the potential future use of mobile detectors, and ability to account for background environmental variability, are highlighted.

Physiological advantages of dwarfing in surviving extinctions in high-CO2 oceans

Physiological changes associated with dwarfing in two marine molluscs that are adapted to acidified seawater at shallow CO2 seeps help the animals keep their shells intact. Such changes may have helped species to survive past mass extinction events.

In situ changes of tropical crustose coralline algae along carbon dioxide gradients.

Crustose coralline algae (CCA) fulfill important ecosystem functions in coral reefs, including reef framework stabilization and induction of larval settlement. To investigate in situ the effects of high carbon dioxide on CCA communities, we deployed settlement tiles at three tropical volcanic CO2 seeps in Papua New Guinea along gradients spanning from 8.1 to 7.4 pH. After 5 and 13 months deployment, there was a steep transition from CCA presence to absence around pH 7.8 (660 μatm pCO2): 98% of tiles had CCA at pH > 7.8, whereas only 20% of tiles had CCA at pH ≤ 7.8. As pH declined from 8.0 to 7.8, the least and most sensitive CCA species lost 43% and 85% of cover, respectively. Communities on upward facing surfaces exposed to high light and high grazing pressure showed less steep losses than those on shaded surfaces with low grazing. Direct CO2 effects on early life stages were the main mechanisms determining CCA cover, rather than competitive interactions with other benthic groups. Importantly, declines were steepest at near-ambient pH, suggesting that CCA may have already declined in abundance due to the recent seawater pH decline of 0.1 units, and that future severe losses are likely with increasing ocean acidification.

Seaweed fails to prevent ocean acidification impact on foraminifera along a shallow-water CO2 gradient.

Ocean acidification causes biodiversity loss, alters ecosystems, and may impact food security, as shells of small organisms dissolve easily in corrosive waters. There is a suggestion that photosynthetic organisms could mitigate ocean acidification on a local scale, through seagrass protection or seaweed cultivation, as net ecosystem organic production raises the saturation state of calcium carbonate making seawater less corrosive. Here, we used a natural gradient in calcium carbonate saturation, caused by shallow-water CO2 seeps in the Mediterranean Sea, to assess whether seaweed that is resistant to acidification (Padina pavonica) could prevent adverse effects of acidification on epiphytic foraminifera. We found a reduction in the number of species of foraminifera as calcium carbonate saturation state fell and that the assemblage shifted from one dominated by calcareous species at reference sites (pH ∼8.19) to one dominated by agglutinated foraminifera at elevated levels of CO2 (pH ∼7.71). It is expected that ocean acidification will result in changes in foraminiferal assemblage composition and agglutinated forms may become more prevalent. Although Padina did not prevent adverse effects of ocean acidification, high biomass stands of seagrass or seaweed farms might be more successful in protecting epiphytic foraminifera.

Calcification is not the Achilles' heel of cold-water corals in an acidifying ocean.

Ocean acidification is thought to be a major threat to coral reefs: laboratory evidence and CO2 seep research has shown adverse effects on many coral species, although a few are resilient. There are concerns that cold-water corals are even more vulnerable as they live in areas where aragonite saturation (Ωara ) is lower than in the tropics and is falling rapidly due to CO2 emissions. Here, we provide laboratory evidence that net (gross calcification minus dissolution) and gross calcification rates of three common cold-water corals, Caryophyllia smithii, Dendrophyllia cornigera, and Desmophyllum dianthus, are not affected by pCO2 levels expected for 2100 (pCO2 1058μatm, Ωara 1.29), and nor are the rates of skeletal dissolution in D.dianthus. We transplanted D.dianthus to 350m depth (pHT 8.02; pCO2 448μatm, Ωara 2.58) and to a 3m depth CO2 seep in oligotrophic waters (pHT 7.35; pCO2 2879μatm, Ωara 0.76) and found that the transplants calcified at the same rates regardless of the pCO2 confirming their resilience to acidification, but at significantly lower rates than corals that were fed in aquaria. Our combination of field and laboratory evidence suggests that ocean acidification will not disrupt cold-water coral calcification although falling aragonite levels may affect other organismal physiological and/or reef community processes.

The impact of ocean acidification and warming on the skeletal mechanical properties of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus from laboratory and field observations

AbstractIncreased atmospheric CO2 concentration is leading to changes in the carbonate chemistry and the temperature of the ocean. The impact of these processes on marine organisms will depend on their ability to cope with those changes, particularly the maintenance of calcium carbonate structures. Both a laboratory experiment (long-term exposure to decreased pH and increased temperature) and collections of individuals from natural environments characterized by low pH levels (individuals from intertidal pools and around a CO2 seep) were here coupled to comprehensively study the impact of near-future conditions of pH and temperature on the mechanical properties of the skeleton of the euechinoid sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus. To assess skeletal mechanical properties, we characterized the fracture force, Young's modulus, second moment of area, material nanohardness, and specific Young's modulus of sea urchin test plates. None of these parameters were significantly affected by low pH and/or increased temperature in the laboratory experiment and by low pH only in the individuals chronically exposed to lowered pH from the CO2 seeps. In tidal pools, the fracture force was higher and the Young's modulus lower in ambital plates of individuals from the rock pool characterized by the largest pH variations but also a dominance of calcifying algae, which might explain some of the variation. Thus, decreases of pH to levels expected for 2100 did not directly alter the mechanical properties of the test of P. lividus. Since the maintenance of test integrity is a question of survival for sea urchins and since weakened tests would increase the sea urchins' risk of predation, our findings indicate that the decreasing seawater pH and increasing seawater temperature expected for the end of the century should not represent an immediate threat to sea urchins vulnerability.

Calcareous green alga H alimeda tolerates ocean acidification conditions at tropical carbon dioxide seeps

We investigated ecological, physiological, and skeletal characteristics of the calcifying green alga Halimeda grown at CO2 seeps (pHtotal ∼ 7.8) and compared them to those at control reefs with ambient CO2 conditions (pHtotal ∼ 8.1). Six species of Halimeda were recorded at both the high CO2 and control sites. For the two most abundant species Halimeda digitata and Halimeda opuntia we determined in situ light and dark oxygen fluxes and calcification rates, carbon contents and stable isotope signatures. In both species, rates of calcification in the light increased at the high CO2 site compared to controls (131% and 41%, respectively). In the dark, calcification was not affected by elevated CO2 in H. digitata, whereas it was reduced by 167% in H. opuntia, suggesting nocturnal decalcification. Calculated net calcification of both species was similar between seep and control sites, i.e., the observed increased calcification in light compensated for reduced dark calcification. However, inorganic carbon content increased (22%) in H. digitata and decreased (−8%) in H. opuntia at the seep site compared to controls. Significantly, lighter carbon isotope signatures of H. digitata and H. opuntia phylloids at high CO2 (1.01‰ [parts per thousand] and 1.94‰, respectively) indicate increased photosynthetic uptake of CO2 over HCO3− potentially reducing dissolved inorganic carbon limitation at the seep site. Moreover, H. digitata and H. opuntia specimens transplanted for 14 d from the control to the seep site exhibited similar δ13C signatures as specimens grown there. These results suggest that the Halimeda spp. investigated can acclimatize and will likely still be capable to grow and calcify in P CO 2 conditions exceeding most pessimistic future CO2 projections.

Spatial and temporal variability of carbon dioxide and methane fluxes over semi-diurnal and spring–neap–spring timescales in a mangrove creek

Automated in situ instrumentation captured high-resolution surface water pCO2, CH4 and 222Rn data at the creek mouth, and ∼500m upstream in a sub-tropical mangrove ecosystem (Southern Moreton Bay, Australia, S27.78°, E153.38°) over a spring-neap-spring tidal cycle (∼15days) during November 2013. The partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) ranged from 385 to 26,106μatm, CH4 from 1.8 to 889nM, and 222Rn from 280 to 108,172dpmm−3. Average surface water pCO2, CH4 and 222Rn were 4-fold higher at the upstream station. Surface water fluxes of CO2 and CH4 ranged from 9.4 to 629.2mmolCO2m−2d−1 and 13.1 to 632.9μmolCH4m−2d−1 depending upon the gas transfer model used and station location. Creek pCO2, CH4 and 222Rn displayed changes over both semi-diurnal and spring–neap–spring tidal scales. Semi-diurnally, all gases had a significant inverse relationship with water depth. Over the spring–neap–spring cycle, all gases exhibited an inverse relationship with tidal amplitude, with higher values during neap tides than spring tides. Estimated fluxes, porewater observations, and the significant positive relationship between surface water pCO2 and CH4, and 222Rn suggests groundwater exchange (i.e., tidal pumping) drives pCO2 and CH4 within the mangrove creek. We hypothesize that a combination of hourly and weekly groundwater–surface water exchange processes drive surface water pCO2 and CH4 in mangrove creeks. Semi-diurnally, flushing of crab burrows leads to high pCO2 and CH4 concentrations at low tide. During the spring–neap–spring cycle, older groundwater enriched in CO2, CH4 and 222Rn seeps into the creek as tidal amplitude decreases, leading to higher concentrations at neap tides.

Surface controls on the characteristics of natural CO2 seeps: implications for engineered CO2 stores

AbstractCO2 injected into rock formations for deep geological storage must not leak to surface, since this would be economically and environmentally unfavourable, and could present a human health hazard. In Italy natural CO2 degassing to the surface via seeps is widespread, providing an insight into the various styles of subsurface ‘plumbing’ as well as surface expression of CO2 fluids. Here we investigate surface controls on the distribution of CO2 seep characteristics (type, flux and temperature) using a large geographical and historical data set. When the locations of documented seeps are compared to a synthetic statistically random data set, we find that the nature of the CO2 seeps is most strongly governed by the flow properties of the outcropping rocks, and local topography. Where low‐permeability rocks outcrop, numerous dry seeps occur and have a range of fluxes. Aqueous fluid flow will be limited in these low‐permeability rocks, and so relative permeability effects may enable preferential CO2 flow. CO2 vents typically occur along faults in rocks that are located above the water table or are low permeability. Diffuse seeps develop where CO2 (laterally supplied by these faults) emerges from the vadose zone and where CO2 degassing from groundwater follows a different flow path due to flow differences for water and CO2 gas. Bubbling water seeps (characterized by water bubbling with CO2) arise where CO2 supply enters the phreatic zone or an aquifer. CO2‐rich springs often emerge where valleys erode into CO2 aquifers, and these are typically high flux seeps. Seep type is known to influence human health risk at CO2 seeps in Italy, as well as the topography surrounding the seep which affects the rate of gas dispersion by wind. Identifying the physical controls on potential seep locations and seep type above engineered CO2 storage operations is therefore crucial to targeted site monitoring strategy and risk assessment. The surface geology and topography above a CO2 store must therefore be characterized in order to design the most effective monitoring strategy.

Natural volcanic CO2 seeps reveal future trajectories for host-microbial associations in corals and sponges.

Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels are rapidly rising causing an increase in the partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) in the ocean and a reduction in pH known as ocean acidification (OA). Natural volcanic seeps in Papua New Guinea expel 99% pure CO2 and thereby offer a unique opportunity to explore the effects of OA in situ. The corals Acropora millepora and Porites cylindrica were less abundant and hosted significantly different microbial communities at the CO2 seep than at nearby control sites <500 m away. A primary driver of microbial differences in A. millepora was a 50% reduction of symbiotic Endozoicomonas. This loss of symbiotic taxa from corals at the CO2 seep highlights a potential hurdle for corals to overcome if they are to adapt to and survive OA. In contrast, the two sponges Coelocarteria singaporensis and Cinachyra sp. were ∼40-fold more abundant at the seep and hosted a significantly higher relative abundance of Synechococcus than sponges at control sites. The increase in photosynthetic microbes at the seep potentially provides these species with a nutritional benefit and enhanced scope for growth under future climate scenarios (thus, flexibility in symbiosis may lead to a larger niche breadth). The microbial community in the apparently pCO2-sensitive sponge species S. massa was not significantly different between sites. These data show that responses to elevated pCO2 are species-specific and that the stability and flexibility of microbial partnerships may have an important role in shaping and contributing to the fitness and success of some hosts.

Seasonality affects macroalgal community response to increases in pCO2.

Ocean acidification is expected to alter marine systems, but there is uncertainty about its effects due to the logistical difficulties of testing its large-scale and long-term effects. Responses of biological communities to increases in carbon dioxide can be assessed at CO2 seeps that cause chronic exposure to lower seawater pH over localised areas of seabed. Shifts in macroalgal communities have been described at temperate and tropical pCO2 seeps, but temporal and spatial replication of these observations is needed to strengthen confidence our predictions, especially because very few studies have been replicated between seasons. Here we describe the seawater chemistry and seasonal variability of macroalgal communities at CO2 seeps off Methana (Aegean Sea). Monitoring from 2011 to 2013 showed that seawater pH decreased to levels predicted for the end of this century at the seep site with no confounding gradients in Total Alkalinity, salinity, temperature or wave exposure. Most nutrient levels were similar along the pH gradient; silicate increased significantly with decreasing pH, but it was not limiting for algal growth at all sites. Metal concentrations in seaweed tissues varied between sites but did not consistently increase with pCO2. Our data on the flora are consistent with results from laboratory experiments and observations at Mediterranean CO2 seep sites in that benthic communities decreased in calcifying algal cover and increased in brown algal cover with increasing pCO2. This differs from the typical macroalgal community response to stress, which is a decrease in perennial brown algae and proliferation of opportunistic green algae. Cystoseira corniculata was more abundant in autumn and Sargassum vulgare in spring, whereas the articulated coralline alga Jania rubens was more abundant at reference sites in autumn. Diversity decreased with increasing CO2 regardless of season. Our results show that benthic community responses to ocean acidification are strongly affected by season.