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Decalcification and survival of benthic foraminifera under the combined impacts of varying pH and salinity

Charrieau, Laurie M. LU ; Filipsson, Helena L. LU orcid ; Nagai, Yukiko ; Kawada, Sachiko ; Ljung, Karl LU orcid ; Kritzberg, Emma LU and Toyofuku, Takashi (2018) In Marine Environmental Research 138. p.36-45
Abstract

Coastal areas display natural large environmental variability such as frequent changes in salinity, pH, and carbonate chemistry. Anthropogenic impacts – especially ocean acidification – increase this variability, which may affect the living conditions of coastal species, particularly, calcifiers. We performed culture experiments on living benthic foraminifera to study the combined effects of lowered pH and salinity on the calcification abilities and survival of the coastal, calcitic species Ammonia sp. and Elphidium crispum. We found that in open ocean conditions (salinity ∼35) and lower pH than usual values for these species, the specimens displayed resistance to shell (test) dissolution for a longer time than in brackish conditions... (More)

Coastal areas display natural large environmental variability such as frequent changes in salinity, pH, and carbonate chemistry. Anthropogenic impacts – especially ocean acidification – increase this variability, which may affect the living conditions of coastal species, particularly, calcifiers. We performed culture experiments on living benthic foraminifera to study the combined effects of lowered pH and salinity on the calcification abilities and survival of the coastal, calcitic species Ammonia sp. and Elphidium crispum. We found that in open ocean conditions (salinity ∼35) and lower pH than usual values for these species, the specimens displayed resistance to shell (test) dissolution for a longer time than in brackish conditions (salinity ∼5 to 20). However, the response was species specific as Ammonia sp. specimens survived longer than E. crispum specimens when placed in the same conditions of salinity and pH. Living, decalcified juveniles of Ammonia sp. were observed and we show that desalination is one cause for the decalcification. Finally, we highlight the ability of foraminifera to survive under Ωcalc < 1, and that high salinity and [Ca2+] as building blocks are crucial for the foraminiferal calcification process.

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author
; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Benthic foraminifera, Calcification process, Coastal ocean acidification, Culture experiment, Desalination, Multiple stressors
in
Marine Environmental Research
volume
138
pages
36 - 45
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:85045901214
  • pmid:29680163
ISSN
0141-1136
DOI
10.1016/j.marenvres.2018.03.015
project
Drivers and Impacts of Coastal Ocean Acidification
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
af5e9799-26d6-4afe-b328-b9c50eedd8c2
date added to LUP
2018-05-04 13:19:46
date last changed
2023-11-17 18:21:32
@article{af5e9799-26d6-4afe-b328-b9c50eedd8c2,
  abstract     = {{<p>Coastal areas display natural large environmental variability such as frequent changes in salinity, pH, and carbonate chemistry. Anthropogenic impacts – especially ocean acidification – increase this variability, which may affect the living conditions of coastal species, particularly, calcifiers. We performed culture experiments on living benthic foraminifera to study the combined effects of lowered pH and salinity on the calcification abilities and survival of the coastal, calcitic species Ammonia sp. and Elphidium crispum. We found that in open ocean conditions (salinity ∼35) and lower pH than usual values for these species, the specimens displayed resistance to shell (test) dissolution for a longer time than in brackish conditions (salinity ∼5 to 20). However, the response was species specific as Ammonia sp. specimens survived longer than E. crispum specimens when placed in the same conditions of salinity and pH. Living, decalcified juveniles of Ammonia sp. were observed and we show that desalination is one cause for the decalcification. Finally, we highlight the ability of foraminifera to survive under Ω<sub>calc</sub> &lt; 1, and that high salinity and [Ca<sup>2+</sup>] as building blocks are crucial for the foraminiferal calcification process.</p>}},
  author       = {{Charrieau, Laurie M. and Filipsson, Helena L. and Nagai, Yukiko and Kawada, Sachiko and Ljung, Karl and Kritzberg, Emma and Toyofuku, Takashi}},
  issn         = {{0141-1136}},
  keywords     = {{Benthic foraminifera; Calcification process; Coastal ocean acidification; Culture experiment; Desalination; Multiple stressors}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{04}},
  pages        = {{36--45}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Marine Environmental Research}},
  title        = {{Decalcification and survival of benthic foraminifera under the combined impacts of varying pH and salinity}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2018.03.015}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.marenvres.2018.03.015}},
  volume       = {{138}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}