Seagrass can mitigate negative ocean acidification effects on calcifying algae

The ultimate effect that ocean acidification (OA) and warming will have on the physiology of calcifying algae is still largely uncertain. Responses depend on the complex interactions between seawater chemistry, global/local stressors and species-specific physiologies. There is a significant gap regarding the effect that metabolic interactions between coexisting species may have on local seawater chemistry and the concurrent effect of OA. Here, we manipulated CO2 and temperature to evaluate the physiological responses of two common photoautotrophs from shallow tropical marine coastal ecosystems in Brazil: the calcifying alga Halimeda cuneata, and the seagrass Halodule wrightii. We tested whether or not seagrass presence can influence the calcification rate of a widespread and abundant species of Halimeda under OA and warming. Our results demonstrate that under elevated CO2, the high photosynthetic rates of H. wrightii contribute to raise H. cuneata calcification more than two-fold and thus we suggest that H. cuneata populations coexisting with H. wrightii may have a higher resilience to OA conditions. This conclusion supports the more general hypothesis that, in coastal and shallow reef environments, the metabolic interactions between calcifying and non-calcifying organisms are instrumental in providing refuge against OA effects and increasing the resilience of the more OA-susceptible species.E.B. would like to thank the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoas de Nível Superior (CAPES) for Masters funding. Funding for this project came from the Synergism grant (CNPq 407365/2013-3). We extend our thanks to the Brazil-based Projeto Coral Vivo and its sponsor PetroBras Ambiental for providing the Marine Mesocosm structure and experimental assistance.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Nutrient budgets (C, N and P) and trophic dynamicsof a Brazilian tropical estuary: Barra das Jangadas

This paper focuses on the nutrient dynamics of a tropical estuary on the northeastern Brazilian coast, studied using the LOICZ biogeochemical budgeting protocol. We describe the methodology and assumptions underlying this model. Input data (monthly for rainfall, evaporation, river discharge, and concentrations of salt, phosphorus and nitrogen) were obtained during field campaigns in the Barra das Jangadas Estuary (BJE) over a 5 years period (1999 to 2003). Mass balance results indicate large inputs of nutrients to the system. The model shows that the seasonal variation of the Net Ecosystem Metabolism (NEM) indicates that the system passes from a stage of organic matter liquid production and mineralization during the dry season (-0.5 mmoles C m-2 d-1) to liquid mineralization during the rainy season (-19 mmoles C m-2 d-1). We suggest that the system varies slightly between autotrophy and heterotrophy during the year due to the rainfall regime, human activities in the basin (density population and sugarcane plantations), and associated DIP riverine loads. High per capita loads of N and P indicate a high population density and high runoff. The application of flux balance modeling was useful to understand the nutrient dynamics of this typical small tropical estuary<br>Este trabalho se focalizou na dinâmica de nutrientes de um estuário tropical na costa nordeste brasileira, usando o protocolo LOICZ de balanços biogeoquímicos. Nós descrevemos a metodologia e os pressupostos subjacentes a este modelo. Os dados de entrada (precipitação e evaporação mensal, vazão do rio, e as concentrações de sal, fósforo e nitrogênio) foram obtidos durante as campanhas de campo no estuário de Barra das Jangadas - Brasil durante um período de 5 anos (1999 a 2003). Os resultados indicam grandes entradas de nutrientes ao sistema. O modelo mostrou que a variação sazonal do Metabolismo do Ecosistema (NEM) indica que o sistema passa de uma fase de produção de líquido da matéria orgânica, durante a estação seca (-0,5 mmoles C m-2 d-1) para uma mineralização líquida durante a estação chuvosa (-19 mmol m-2 C d-1). Sugerimos que o sistema varia ligeiramente entre autotrófica e heterotrófica durante o ano, devido ao regime de chuvas, as atividades antrópicas na bacia (densidade populacional e as plantações de cana de açúcar), e as cargas ribeirinhas de DIP associadas. A alta carga de N e P per capita, indica uma alta densidade populacional e um alto runoff. A aplicação da modelagem de balanço de fluxos foi útil para o entendimento da dinâmica de nutrientes em um pequeno estuário tipicamente tropica

The western south atlantic ocean in a high-CO2 world: current measurement capabilities and perspectives

An international multi-disciplinary group of 24 researchers met to discuss ocean acidification (OA) during the Brazilian OA Network/Surface Ocean-Lower Atmosphere Study (BrOA/SOLAS) Workshop. Fifteen members of the BrOA Network (www. broa. furg. br) authored this review. The group concluded that identifying and evaluating the regional effects of OA is impossible without understanding the natural variability of seawater carbonate systems in marine ecosystems through a series of long-term observations. Here, we show that the western South Atlantic Ocean (WSAO) lacks appropriate observations for determining regional OA effects, including the effects of OA on key sensitive Brazilian ecosystems in this area. The impacts of OA likely affect marine life in coastal and oceanic ecosystems, with further social and economic consequences for Brazil and neighboring countries. Thus, we present (i) the diversity of coastal and open ocean ecosystems in the WSAO and emphasize their roles in the marine carbon cycle and biodiversity and their vulnerabilities to OA effects; (ii) ongoing observational, experimental, and modeling efforts that investigate OA in the WSAO; and (iii) highlights of the knowledge gaps, infrastructure deficiencies, and OA-related issues in the WSAO. Finally, this review outlines long-term actions that should be taken to manage marine ecosystems in this vast and unexplored ocean region