Red coral extinction risk enhanced by ocean acidification

Cerrano, Carlo; Cardini, Ulisse; Bianchelli, Silvia; Corinaldesi, Cinzia; Pusceddu, Antonio; Danovaro, Roberto

doi:10.1038/srep01457

Cited by 76 publications

(72 citation statements)

References 49 publications

(69 reference statements)

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“…For example, nutrients produced during the re-mineralization of organic matter at the deep seafloor are ultimately used by phytoplankton to produce organic matter that fuels secondary production. At the same time, organic-matter degradation and re-mineralisation contribute to carbon biogeochemical cycling in the ocean, and help to buffer the ocean against pH changes and the effects of ocean acidification Wenzhöfer et al, 2001;Cerrano et al, 2013). The health and sustainable functioning of the planet are therefore highly dependent on the deep sea (defined here as > 200 m), which accounts for more than 95% of the volume of the Earth's oceans.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Major impacts of climate change on deep-sea benthic ecosystems

Sweetman

Thurber

Smith

et al. 2017

Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene

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271

297

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The deep sea encompasses the largest ecosystems on Earth. Although poorly known, deep seafloor ecosystems provide services that are vitally important to the entire ocean and biosphere. Rising atmospheric greenhouse gases are bringing about significant changes in the environmental properties of the ocean realm in terms of water column oxygenation, temperature, pH and food supply, with concomitant impacts on deep-sea ecosystems. Projections suggest that abyssal (3000-6000 m) ocean temperatures could increase by 1°C over the next 84 years, while abyssal seafloor habitats under areas of deep-water formation may experience reductions in water column oxygen concentrations by as much as 0.03 mL L -1 by 2100. Bathyal depths (200-3000 m) worldwide will undergo the most significant reductions in pH in all oceans by the year 2100 (0.29 to 0.37 pH units). O 2 concentrations will also decline in the bathyal NE Pacific and Southern Oceans, with losses up to 3.7% or more, especially at intermediate depths. Another important environmental parameter, the flux of particulate organic matter to the seafloor, is likely to decline significantly in most oceans, most notably in the abyssal and bathyal Indian Ocean where it is predicted to decrease by 40-55% by the end of the century. Unfortunately, how these major changes will affect deep-seafloor ecosystems is, in some cases, very poorly understood. In this paper, we provide a detailed overview of the impacts of these changing environmental parameters on deep-seafloor ecosystems that will most likely be seen by 2100 in continental margin, abyssal and polar settings. We also consider how these changes may combine with other anthropogenic stressors (e.g., fishing, mineral mining, oil and gas extraction) to further impact deep-seafloor ecosystems and discuss the possible societal implications.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Major impacts of climate change on deep-sea benthic ecosystems

Sweetman

Thurber

Smith

et al. 2017

Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene

Self Cite

271

297

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“…The main threat to the red coral is intensive historical harvesting, which causes an overall shift in the population structure, resulting in a decrease in both biomass and colony size171819. Climate warming and the potential effects of ocean acidification are also major threats affecting populations12202122. It has been demonstrated that a decrease in the abundance of habitat-forming species leads to a rapid fragmentation in community structure and a loss of species benefiting from the structural complexity these species provide23242526.…”

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confidence: 99%

Structure and biodiversity of coralligenous assemblages dominated by the precious red coral Corallium rubrum over broad spatial scales

Casas-Güell

Cebrián

Garrabou

et al. 2016

Sci Rep

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Data on species diversity and structure in coralligenous outcrops dominated by Corallium rubrum are lacking. A hierarchical sampling including 3 localities and 9 sites covering more than 400 km of rocky coasts in NW Mediterranean, was designed to characterize the spatial variability of structure, composition and diversity of perennial species inhabiting coralligenous outcrops. We estimated species/taxa composition and abundance. Eight morpho-functional groups were defined according to their life span and growth to characterize the structural complexity of the outcrops. The species composition and structural complexity differed consistently across all spatial scales considered. The lowest and the highest variability were found among localities (separated by >200 km) and within sites (separated by 1–5 km), respectively supporting differences in diversity indices. The morpho-functional groups displayed a consistent spatial arrangement in terms of the number, size and shape of patches across study sites. These results contribute to filling the gap on the understanding of assemblage composition and structure and to build baselines to assess the response of this of this highly threatened habitat to anthropogenic disturbances.

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“…However, the most dominant observation is a loss in calcification rate or alteration of calcification structure with increasing OA conditions. This can be observed for temperate and polar species living in the areas most susceptible to OA Fabry et al 2008;Comeau et al 2012;Hoppe et al 2011;Cerrano et al 2013). Many studies on tropical calcifiers, such as corals, calcifying algae, molluscs, echinoderms, and crustaceans, indicate similar effects of OA.…”

Section: Calcificationmentioning

confidence: 84%

Ocean Acidification and Related Indicators

Meyer

Cardini

Wild

2014

Environmental Indicators

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Ocean acidification is one of the main consequences of global climate change. It is caused by the increasing input of atmospheric CO 2 in the world ocean, which in turn is affecting the marine carbonate system and resulting by now in a measurable decline in seawater pH. Thus, several key water quality parameters (alkalinity, partial pressure of CO 2 , concentration of dissolved inorganic carbon -DIC, and the seawater pH) serve as environmental indicators for ocean acidification. In addition, many pelagic and benthic marine organisms, particularly those that are calcifying, negatively or positively respond to acidification so that their physiological parameters (calcification, photosynthesis, growth) may also act as indicators of this phenomenon. On the ecosystem level, potential environmental indicators for acidification can be found in the sedimentary record (mineralogy, crystallography), in the benthic community (relative abundance of calcifying versus non-calcifying organisms, rugosity), or in the overall production, cementation, and erosion of inorganic carbon.

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Red coral extinction risk enhanced by ocean acidification

Cited by 76 publications

References 49 publications

Major impacts of climate change on deep-sea benthic ecosystems

Major impacts of climate change on deep-sea benthic ecosystems

Structure and biodiversity of coralligenous assemblages dominated by the precious red coral Corallium rubrum over broad spatial scales

Ocean Acidification and Related Indicators

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