Ocean acidification and calcium carbonate saturation states in the coastal zone of the West Antarctic Peninsula

Jones, Elizabeth M.; Fenton, Mairi; Meredith, Michael P.; Clargo, Nicola M.; Ossebaar, Sharyn; Ducklow, Hugh W.; Venables, Hugh J.; Baar, H. J. W. de

doi:10.1016/j.dsr2.2017.01.007

Cited by 55 publications

(85 citation statements)

References 98 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The waters off the western Antarctic Peninsula are naturally undersaturated with respect to the various forms of CaCO 3 (Feely et al., ; Lebrato et al., ). In some areas, the saturation horizon occurs in depths as shallow as ~100 m (Jones et al., ). Although seawater chemistry was not assessed as part of this study, the individuals of P. birsteini used here were collected from ~1,300 m depth off the western Antarctic Peninsula, and thus far have only been observed in depths ≥ 700 m (Smith, Aronson, Steffel et al., ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Antarctica is a highly stressful environment for marine calcifiers. Off the western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP), the saturation horizon for aragonite is at ~100‐m depth (Jones et al., ). The waters over the continental slope and rise (~500–2,000 m) are already undersaturated with respect to the specific Mg calcite mineralogy of many species that secrete high‐Mg calcite (Lebrato et al., ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Characterization of the exoskeleton of the Antarctic king crab Paralomis birsteini

Steffel

Smith

Dickinson

et al. 2019

Invertebrate Biology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Ocean acidification is projected to inhibit the biogenic production of calcium carbonate skeletons in marine organisms. Antarctic waters represent a natural environment in which to examine the long‐term effects of carbonate undersaturation on calcification in marine predators. King crabs (Decapoda: Anomura: Lithodidae), which currently inhabit the undersaturated environment of the continental slope off Antarctica, are potential invasives on the Antarctic shelf as oceanic temperatures rise. Here, we describe the chemical, physical, and mechanical properties of the exoskeleton of the deep‐water Antarctic lithodid Paralomis birsteini and compare our measurements with two decapod species from shallow water at lower latitudes, Callinectes sapidus (Brachyura: Portunidae) and Cancer borealis (Brachyura: Cancridae). In Paralomis birsteini, crabs deposit proportionally more calcium carbonate in their predatory chelae than their protective carapaces, compared with the other two crab species. When exoskeleton thickness and microhardness were compared between the chelae and carapace, the magnitude of the difference between these body regions was significantly greater in P. birsteini than in the other species tested. Hence, there appeared to be a greater disparity in P. birsteini in overall investment in calcium carbonate structures among regions of the exoskeleton. The imperatives of prey consumption and predator avoidance may be influencing the deposition of calcium to different parts of the exoskeleton in lithodids living in an environment undersaturated with respect to calcium carbonate.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterization of the exoskeleton of the Antarctic king crab Paralomis birsteini

Steffel

Smith

Dickinson

et al. 2019

Invertebrate Biology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Furthermore, in the relatively lower salinity waters of the 2011 mixed layer, the biological enhancement of saturation state significantly outweighed the decrease due to dilution. This is in contrast to observations in the Arctic Ocean, which have linked sea ice meltwater with surface freshening and depressed saturation states [e.g., Yamamoto‐Kawai et al ., ; Mathis et al ., ; Yamamoto‐Kawai et al ., ], but in broad agreement with recent studies of coastal systems in the West Antarctic Peninsula region [ Hauri et al ., ; Jones et al ., ]. If sea ice melt is associated with a source of dissolved iron (Fe) to the surface waters, this may stimulate biological productivity under otherwise Fe‐limited conditions, which are common in the open Southern Ocean and occur seasonally in the marginal ice zone [e.g., Sambrotto et al ., ; de Jong et al ., ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Late‐summer biogeochemistry in the Mertz Polynya: East Antarctica

2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A marked reconfiguration of the Mertz Polynya following the 2010 calving of the Mertz Glacier Tongue has been associated with a decrease in the size and activity of the polynya. We report observations of the oceanic carbonate (CO2) system in late‐summer 2013, the third post‐calving summer season. Estimates of seasonal net community production (NCP) based on inorganic carbon deficits and the oxygen‐argon ratio indicate that the waters on the shelf to the east of Commonwealth Bay (adjacent to the Mertz Glacier) remain productive compared to pre‐calving conditions. The input of residual or excess alkalinity from melting sea ice is found to contribute to the seasonal enhancement of carbonate saturation state and pH in shelf waters. Mean rates of NCP in 2012–2013 are more than twice as large as those observed in the pre‐calving summers of 2001 and 2008 and suggest that the new (post‐calving) configuration of the polynya favors enhanced net community production and a stronger surface ocean sink for atmospheric CO2 due at least in part to the redistribution of sea ice and associated changes in summer surface stratification.

show abstract

“…In these regions, strong ocean currents and/or katabatic winds push newly formed sea ice away to sustain areas of open water or thin ice for much of the year (Massom et al, ; Morales Maqueda et al, ). There is a growing understanding of the interactive physical and biological processes impacting CO 2 system dynamics in seasonally sea ice‐covered regions such as the East Antarctic (Roden et al, ; Shadwick et al, ), the West Antarctic Peninsula (Jones et al, ; Legge et al, ), and the Amundsen (Mu et al, ; Yager et al, ) and Ross Seas (DeJong et al, ; DeJong & Dunbar, ). In the spring and summer, coastal polynyas often support intense biological activity relative to their small surface areas as reduced sea ice coverage exposes surface waters to incoming solar radiation (Arrigo & van Dijken, ), driving a dramatic undersaturation in CO 2 at the ocean surface.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Summer Carbonate Chemistry in the Dalton Polynya, East Antarctica

Arroyo¹,

Shadwick

Tilbrook

2019

JGR Oceans

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The carbonate chemistry in the Dalton Polynya in East Antarctica (115°–123°E) was investigated in summer 2014/2015 using high‐frequency underway measurements of CO2 fugacity (fCO2) and discrete water column measurements of total dissolved inorganic carbon (TCO2) and total alkalinity. Air‐sea CO2 fluxes indicate this region was a weak net source of CO2 to the atmosphere (0.7 ± 0.9 mmol C m−2 day−1) during the period of observation, with the largest degree of surface water supersaturation (ΔfCO2 = +45 μatm) in ice‐covered waters near the Totten Ice Shelf (TIS) as compared to the ice‐free surface waters in the Dalton Polynya. The seasonal depletion of mixed‐layer TCO2 (6 to 51 μmol/kg) in ice‐free regions was primarily driven by sea ice melt and biological CO2 uptake. Estimates of net community production (NCP) reveal net autotrophy in the ice‐free Dalton Polynya (NCP = 5–20 mmol C m−2 day−1) and weakly heterotrophic waters near the ice‐covered TIS (NCP = −4–0 mmol C m−2 day−1). Satellite‐derived estimates of chlorophyll a (Chl a) and sea ice coverage suggest that the early summer season in 2014/2015 was anomalous relative to the long‐term (1997–2017) record, with lower surface Chl a concentrations and a greater degree of sea ice cover during the period of observation; the implications for seasonal primary production and air‐sea CO2 exchange are discussed. This study highlights the importance of both physical and biological processes in controlling air‐sea CO2 fluxes and the significant interannual variability of the CO2 system in Antarctic coastal regions.

show abstract

Ocean acidification and calcium carbonate saturation states in the coastal zone of the West Antarctic Peninsula

Cited by 55 publications

References 98 publications

Characterization of the exoskeleton of the Antarctic king crab Paralomis birsteini

Characterization of the exoskeleton of the Antarctic king crab Paralomis birsteini

Late‐summer biogeochemistry in the Mertz Polynya: East Antarctica

Summer Carbonate Chemistry in the Dalton Polynya, East Antarctica

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About