Journal
BIOGEOSCIENCES
Volume 15, Issue 22, Pages 6819-6832Publisher
COPERNICUS GESELLSCHAFT MBH
DOI: 10.5194/bg-15-6819-2018
Keywords
-
Categories
Funding
- National Science Foundation [1040952]
- Ministry of Education of Spain's Argo Global Grant
- Myers Oceanographic and Marine Biology Trust
- Directorate For Geosciences
- Division Of Ocean Sciences [1040952] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide and its dissolution in seawater have reduced ocean pH and carbonate ion concentrations, with potential implications on calcifying organisms. To assess the response of large Caribbean benthic foraminifera to low carbonate saturation conditions, we analyzed benthic foraminifers' abundance and relative distribution in surface sediments in proximity to low-carbonatesaturation submarine springs and at adjacent control sites. Our results show that the total abundance of large benthic foraminifera was significantly lower at the low-pH submarine springs than at control sites, although responses were species specific. The relative abundance of high-magnesium, porcelaneous foraminifera was higher than that of hyaline foraminifera at the low-pH springs due to the abundant Ar-chaias angulatus, a chlorophyte-bearing foraminifer, which secretes a large and robust test that is more resilient to dissolution at low-calcite saturation. The different assemblages found at the submarine springs indicate that calcareous symbiont-barren foraminifera are more sensitive to the effects of ocean acidification than agglutinated and symbiont-bearing foraminifera, suggesting that future ocean acidification will likely impact natural benthic foraminifera populations.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available