scholarly journals Inter- and intra-specific responses of coccolithophores to CO<sub>2</sub>-induced ocean acidification

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 675-706
Author(s):  
D. S. Wang ◽  
D. Xu ◽  
X. Fan ◽  
N. H. Ye ◽  
W. Q. Wang ◽  
...  

Abstract. Oceanic uptake of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) is altering the seawater chemistry of the world's oceans with consequences for marine bioregions, especially calcareous organisms such as corals, foraminifera and coccolithophores. The coccolithophores, one of the most abundant and widespread groups of calcifying plankton, are responsible for a large proportion of modern oceanic carbonate production. However, culture experiments examining the response of coccolithophores to elevated CO2 partial pressure (pCO2) have mostly been based on investigations of a single strain and have yielded contradictory results from different experiments between and even within species. Here, four strains of the coccolithophores Emiliania huxleyi (E. huxleyi) and Gephyrocapsa oceanica (G. oceanica), which contained separately naked and calcifying strains, were investigated simultaneously for the first time in a bubbling batch culture at four CO2 grades ranging from approximately 380 to 2000 μatm. We synchronously determined multiple physiological parameters of four coccolithophore strains involving growth, photosynthesis, nitrogen uptake, elemental compositions and calcification efficiency in the process of cultivation. The results did not show a uniform response from different strains to elevated pCO2 up to 2000 μatm, and the naked strain E. huxleyi (N-E) was seriously suppressed, in sharp contrast to the positive response of the different levels of the other three algae. In addition, we fitted nitrogen uptake rate response curves relative to changing pCO2 for the four strains and applied kinetic constants from the response curves to further analyze the hypostatic difference among different strains, which reflected the same variational trend of the four stains above vs. increasing CO2. We determined that the responses of coccolithophores to ocean acidification are inter- and intra-specific, and this variation may cause changes to biodiversity and other ecosystem processes in the future ocean.

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 1673-1687
Author(s):  
Sara González-Delgado ◽  
David González-Santana ◽  
Magdalena Santana-Casiano ◽  
Melchor González-Dávila ◽  
Celso A. Hernández ◽  
...  

Abstract. We present a new natural carbon dioxide (CO2) system located off the southern coast of the island of La Palma (Canary Islands, Spain). Like CO2 seeps, these CO2 submarine groundwater discharges (SGDs) can be used as an analogue to study the effects of ocean acidification (OA) on the marine realm. With this aim, we present the chemical characterization of the area, describing the carbon system dynamics, by measuring pH, AT and CT and calculating Ω aragonite and calcite. Our explorations of the area have found several emission points with similar chemical features. Here, the CT varies from 2120.10 to 10 784.84 µmol kg−1, AT from 2415.20 to 10 817.12 µmol kg−1, pH from 7.12 to 8.07, Ω aragonite from 0.71 to 4.15 and Ω calcite from 1.09 to 6.49 units. Also, the CO2 emission flux varies between 2.8 and 28 kg CO2 d−1, becoming a significant source of carbon. These CO2 emissions, which are of volcanic origin, acidify the brackish groundwater that is discharged to the coast and alter the local seawater chemistry. Although this kind of acidified system is not a perfect image of future oceans, this area of La Palma is an exceptional spot to perform studies aimed at understanding the effect of different levels of OA on the functioning of marine ecosystems. These studies can then be used to comprehend how life has persisted through past eras, with higher atmospheric CO2, or to predict the consequences of present fossil fuel usage on the marine ecosystem of the future oceans.


2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 2267-2284 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. S. Findlay ◽  
H. L. Wood ◽  
M. A. Kendall ◽  
J. I. Spicer ◽  
R. J. Twitchett ◽  
...  

Abstract. Marine organisms that produce calcium carbonate structures are predicted to be most vulnerable to a decline in oceanic pH (ocean acidification) based on the understanding that calcification rates will decrease as a result of changes in the seawater carbonate chemistry thereby reducing carbonate ion concentration (and associated saturation states). Coastal seas are critical components of the global carbon cycle yet little research has been conducted on acidification impacts on coastal benthic organisms. Here, a critical appraisal of calcification in six benthic species showed, contrary to popular predictions, calcification can increase, and not decrease, in acidified seawater. Measuring the changes in calcium in isolated calcium carbonate structure as well as structures from live animals exposed to acidified seawater allowed a comparison between a species' ability to calcify and the dissolution affects across decreasing levels of pH. Calcium carbonate production is dependant on the ability to increase calcification thus counteracting an increase in dissolution. Comparison with paleoecological studies of past high carbon dioxide (CO2) events presents a similar picture. This conclusion implies that calcification may not be the critical process impacted by ocean acidification; particularly as all species investigated displayed physiological trade offs including reduced metabolism, health, and behavioural responses, in association with this calcification upregulation, which possess as great a threat to survival as an inability to calcify.


2008 ◽  
Vol 65 (3) ◽  
pp. 414-432 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria J. Fabry ◽  
Brad A. Seibel ◽  
Richard A. Feely ◽  
James C. Orr

Abstract Fabry, V. J., Seibel, B. A., Feely, R. A., and Orr, J. C. 2008. Impacts of ocean acidification on marine fauna and ecosystem processes. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 65: 414–432. Oceanic uptake of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) is altering the seawater chemistry of the world’s oceans with consequences for marine biota. Elevated partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) is causing the calcium carbonate saturation horizon to shoal in many regions, particularly in high latitudes and regions that intersect with pronounced hypoxic zones. The ability of marine animals, most importantly pteropod molluscs, foraminifera, and some benthic invertebrates, to produce calcareous skeletal structures is directly affected by seawater CO2 chemistry. CO2 influences the physiology of marine organisms as well through acid-base imbalance and reduced oxygen transport capacity. The few studies at relevant pCO2 levels impede our ability to predict future impacts on foodweb dynamics and other ecosystem processes. Here we present new observations, review available data, and identify priorities for future research, based on regions, ecosystems, taxa, and physiological processes believed to be most vulnerable to ocean acidification. We conclude that ocean acidification and the synergistic impacts of other anthropogenic stressors provide great potential for widespread changes to marine ecosystems.


1987 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 221-225 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kunio Komiyama ◽  
Brian F. Habbick ◽  
Tom Martin ◽  
Satwant K. Tumber

Oral and sputum isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in patients with cystic fibrosis were investigated. Of the 17 patients studied, 12 patients (71%) yielded both mucoid and nonmucoid variants of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from sputum and (or) various oral ecological sites, such as buccal mucosa, tongue dorsum, dental plaques, and saliva. A total of 51 strains of mucoid and nonmucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosa were isolated from these patients and were phenotypically characterized by both pyocine typing and serotyping. Five patients (42%) were colonized or infected by a single strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, whereas 7 patients (58%) were cocolonized or coinfected by two or more phenotypically different strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. To understand the mechanisms involved in Pseudomonas aeruginosa colonization, it may be necessary to identify multiple isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa not only from the sputum but also from the various oral ecological sites and to further explore the role of the oral cavity in this colonization.


2008 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 1023-1031 ◽  
Author(s):  
X. Mari

Abstract. The absorption of anthropogenic atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) by the ocean provokes its acidification. This acidification may alter several oceanic processes, including the export of biogenic carbon from the upper layer of the ocean, hence providing a feedback on rising atmospheric carbon concentrations. The effect of seawater acidification on transparent exopolymeric particles (TEP) driven aggregation and sedimentation processes were investigated by studying the interactions between latex beads and TEP precursors collected in the lagoon of New Caledonia. A suspension of TEP and beads was prepared and the formation of mixed aggregates was monitored as a function of pH under increasing turbulence intensities. The pH was controlled by addition of sulfuric acid. Aggregation and sedimentation processes driven by TEP were drastically reduced when the pH of seawater decreases within the expected limits imposed by increased anthropogenic CO2 emissions. In addition to the diminution of TEP sticking properties, the diminution of seawater pH led to a significant increase of the TEP pool, most likely due to swollen structures. A diminution of seawater pH by 0.2 units or more led to a stop or a reversal of the downward flux of particles. If applicable to oceanic conditions, the sedimentation of marine aggregates may slow down or even stop as the pH decreases, and the vertical flux of organic carbon may reverse. This would enhance both rising atmospheric carbon and ocean acidification.


2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 10725-10755 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Sperling ◽  
J. Piontek ◽  
G. Gerdts ◽  
A. Wichels ◽  
H. Schunck ◽  
...  

Abstract. The increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) results in acidification of the oceans, expected to lead to the fastest drop in ocean pH in the last 300 million years, if anthropogenic emissions are continued at present rate. Due to higher solubility of gases in cold waters and increased exposure to the atmosphere by decreasing ice cover, the Arctic Ocean will be among the areas most strongly affected by ocean acidification. Yet, the response of the plankton community of high latitudes to ocean acidification has not been studied so far. This work is part of the Arctic campaign of the European Project on Ocean Acidification (EPOCA) in 2010, employing 9 in situ mesocosms of about 45 000 l each to simulate ocean acidification in Kongsfjorden, Svalbard (78°56.2' N 11°53.6' E). In the present study, we investigated effects of elevated CO2 on the composition and richness of particle attached (PA; >3 μm) and free living (FL; <3 μm >0.2 μm) bacterial communities by Automated Ribosomal Intergenic Spacer Analysis (ARISA) in 6 of the mesocosms and the surrounding fjord, ranging from 185 to 1050 initial μatm pCO2. ARISA was able to resolve about 20–30 bacterial band-classes per sample and allowed for a detailed investigation of the explicit richness. Both, the PA and the FL bacterioplankton community exhibited a strong temporal development, which was driven mainly by temperature and phytoplankton development. In response to the breakdown of a picophytoplankton bloom (phase 3 of the experiment), number of ARISA-band classes in the PA-community were reduced at low and medium CO2 (∼180–600 μatm) by about 25%, while it was more or less stable at high CO2 (∼ 650–800 μatm). We hypothesise that enhanced viral lysis and enhanced availability of organic substrates at high CO2 resulted in a more diverse PA-bacterial community in the post-bloom phase. Despite lower cell numbers and extracellular enzyme activities in the post-bloom phase, bacterial protein production was enhanced in high CO2-treatments, suggesting a positive effect of community richness on this function and on carbon cycling by bacteria.


2004 ◽  
Vol 70 (8) ◽  
pp. 4635-4641 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Rosberg-Cody ◽  
R. P. Ross ◽  
S. Hussey ◽  
C. A. Ryan ◽  
B. P. Murphy ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT This study was designed to isolate different strains of the genus Bifidobacterium from the fecal material of neonates and to assess their ability to produce the cis-9, trans-11 conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) isomer from free linoleic acid. Fecal material was collected from 24 neonates aged between 3 days and 2 months in a neonatal unit (Erinville Hospital, Cork, Ireland). A total of 46 isolates from six neonates were confirmed to be Bifidobacterium species based on a combination of the fructose-6-phosphate phosphoketolase assay, RAPD [random(ly) amplified polymorphic DNA] PCR, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), and partial 16S ribosomal DNA sequencing. Interestingly, only 1 of the 11 neonates that had received antibiotic treatment produced bifidobacteria. PFGE after genomic digestion with the restriction enzyme XbaI demonstrated that the bifidobacteria population displayed considerable genomic diversity among the neonates, with each containing between one and five dominant strains, whereas 11 different macro restriction patterns were obtained. In only one case did a single strain appear in two neonates. All genetically distinct strains were then screened for CLA production after 72 h of incubation with 0.5 mg of free linoleic acid ml−1 by using gas-liquid chromatography. The most efficient producers belonged to the species Bifidobacterium breve, of which two different strains converted 29 and 27% of the free linoleic acid to the cis-9, trans-11 isomer per microgram of dry cells, respectively. In addition, a strain of Bifidobacterium bifidum showed a conversion rate of 18%/μg dry cells. The ability of some Bifidobacterium strains to produce CLA could be another human health-promoting property linked to members of the genus, given that this metabolite has demonstrated anticarcinogenic activity in vitro and in vivo.


1985 ◽  
Vol 78 (2) ◽  
pp. 320-322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leslie C. Tolley ◽  
C. David Raper

mSphere ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick T. LaBreck ◽  
Audrey C. Bochi-Layec ◽  
Joshua Stanbro ◽  
Gina Dabbah-Krancher ◽  
Mark P. Simons ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Staphylococcus aureus-associated infections can be difficult to treat due to multidrug resistance. Thus, infection prevention is critical. Cationic antiseptics, such as chlorhexidine (CHX) and benzalkonium chloride (BKC), are liberally used in health care and community settings to prevent infection. However, increased administration of antiseptics has selected for S. aureus strains that show reduced susceptibilities to cationic antiseptics. This increased resistance has been associated with carriage of specific efflux pumps (QacA, QacC, and NorA). Since prior published studies focused on different strains and on strains carrying only a single efflux gene, the relative importance of these various systems to antiseptic resistance is difficult to ascertain. To overcome this, we engineered a collection of isogenic S. aureus strains that harbored norA, qacA, and qacC, individually or in combination. MIC assays showed that qacA was associated with increased resistance to CHX, cetrimide (CT), and BKC, qacC was associated with resistance to CT and BKC, and norA was necessary for basal-level resistance to the majority of tested antiseptics. When all three pumps were present in a single strain, an additive effect was observed in the MIC for CT. Transcriptional analysis revealed that expression of qacA and norA was significantly induced following exposure to BKC. Alarmingly, in a strain carrying qacA and norA, preexposure to BKC increased CHX tolerance. Overall, our results reveal increased antiseptic resistance in strains carrying multiple efflux pumps and indicate that preexposure to BKC, which is found in numerous daily-use products, can increase CHX tolerance. IMPORTANCE S. aureus remains a significant cause of disease within hospitals and communities. To reduce the burden of S. aureus infections, antiseptics are ubiquitously used in our daily lives. Furthermore, many antiseptic compounds are dual purpose and are found in household products. The increased abundance of antiseptic compounds has selected for S. aureus strains that carry efflux pumps that increase resistance to antiseptic compounds; however, the effect of carrying multiple pumps within S. aureus is unclear. We demonstrated that an isogenic strain carrying multiple efflux pumps had an additive resistance phenotype to cetrimide. Moreover, in a strain carrying qacA and norA, increased chlorhexidine tolerance was observed after the strain was preexposed to subinhibitory concentrations of a different common-use antiseptic. Taken together, our findings demonstrate cooperation between antiseptic resistance efflux pumps and suggest that their protective phenotype may be exacerbated by priming with subinhibitory concentrations of household antiseptics.


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