Publication Date:
2024-03-15
Description:
We examined the long-term effect of naturally acidified water on a Cymodocea nodosa meadow growing at a shallow volcanic CO2 vent in Vulcano Island (Italy). Seagrass and adjacent unvegetated habitats growing at a low pH station (pH = 7.65 ± 0.02) were compared with corresponding habitats at a control station (pH = 8.01 ± 0.01). Density and biomass showed a clear decreasing trend at the low pH station and the below- to above-ground biomass ratio was more than 10 times lower compared to the control. C content and delta 13C of leaves and epiphytes were significantly lower at the low pH station. Photosynthetic activity of C. nodosa was stimulated by low pH as seen by the significant increase in Chla content of leaves, maximum electron transport rate and compensation irradiance. Seagrass community metabolism was intense at the low pH station, with significantly higher net community production, respiration and gross primary production than the control community, whereas metabolism of the unvegetated community did not differ between stations. Productivity was promoted by the low pH, but this was not translated into biomass, probably due to nutrient limitation, grazing or poor environmental conditions. The results indicate that seagrass response in naturally acidified conditions is dependable upon species and geochemical characteristics of the site and highlight the need for a better understanding of complex interactions in these environments.
Keywords:
Alkalinity, total; Alkalinity, total, standard error; Aragonite saturation state; Benthos; Bicarbonate ion; Biomass; Biomass, standard error; Biomass/Abundance/Elemental composition; Calcite saturation state; Calcium carbonate; Calcium carbonate, standard error; Calculated using seacarb after Nisumaa et al. (2010); Carbon; Carbon, inorganic, dissolved; Carbon, inorganic, dissolved, standard error; Carbon, standard error; Carbonate ion; Carbonate system computation flag; Carbon dioxide; Chlorophyll a; Chlorophyll a, standard error; CO2 vent; Coast and continental shelf; Cymodocea nodosa; Electron transport rate; Electron transport rate, standard error; Entire community; Epiphytes, load; Epiphytes load, standard error; Field observation; Fugacity of carbon dioxide (water) at sea surface temperature (wet air); Gross primary production of carbon; Gross primary production of carbon, standard error; Group; Illuminance; Illuminance, standard error; Irradiance; Irradiance, standard error; Light saturation point; Light saturation point, standard error; Maximum photochemical quantum yield of photosystem II; Maximum photochemical quantum yield of photosystem II, standard error; Mediterranean Sea; Mediterranean Sea Acidification in a Changing Climate; MedSeA; Net community production of carbon; Net community production of carbon, standard error; OA-ICC; Ocean Acidification International Coordination Centre; Oxygen; Oxygen, standard error; Partial pressure of carbon dioxide (water) at sea surface temperature (wet air); Partial pressure of carbon dioxide (water) at sea surface temperature (wet air), standard error; pH; pH, standard error; Photosynthetic quantum efficiency; Photosynthetic quantum efficiency, standard error; Potentiometric; Potentiometric titration; Primary production/Photosynthesis; Respiration; Respiration rate, carbon; Respiration rate, carbon, standard error; Salinity; Shoot density; Shoot density, standard error; Soft-bottom community; Species; Temperate; Temperature, water; Temperature, water, standard error; Treatment; δ13C; δ13C, standard error
Type:
Dataset
Format:
text/tab-separated-values, 300 data points
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