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Abstract

Examines in Marine Biology & Oceanography

Vulnerability and Resilience of Tropical Coastal Ecosystems to Ocean Acidification

  • Open or Close Daniel M Alongi*

    Tropical Coastal and Mangrove Consultants, Australia

    *Corresponding author: Alongi DM, Tropical Coastal and Mangrove Consultants, Australia

Submission: December 14, 2019; Published: January 08, 2020

DOI: 10.31031/EIMBO.2019.03.000561

ISSN : 2578-031X
Volume3 Issue2

Abstract

Ocean acidification leads to a wide variety of responses from tropical coastal ecosystems. Coral reefs are most vulnerable with most coral species exhibiting declining calcification rates with decreasing pH and carbonate chemistry parameters. Some corals show resilience to acidification likely due to active physiological regulation of their calcifying fluid. Other calcifying organisms, such as some foraminifera and coccolithophores, exhibit negative responses, whereas some symbiont-bearing calcifiers respond positively, to increasing acidification. Seagrasses and brown macroalgae thrive under acidified conditions, with increasing rates of primary productivity. Some tropical coastal fish species are resilient, and in some species, respond positively, to acidification. Some tropical species show complex, nonlinear responses to declining pH and carbonate chemistry. Factors that influence the ability of a species to adapt to and/or resist acidification include food supply, nutrient availability, temperature, diet, interactions with symbionts and other organisms and species and community diversity. Interactive effects of ocean acidification with other climate change parameters, such as elevated temperature, play an important but poorly understood role in determining the resilience and vulnerability of tropical coastal species, communities and ecosystems. Some short-lived species can undergo acclimation and/or adaptive evolution to increase fitness in the face of acidification. Biota living in tropical estuarine and nearshore environments, such as mangroves, seagrasses and intertidal and subtidal inshore benthos, are unlikely to be significantly affected by future acidification as such environments exhibit very wide variations in water and sediment pH and carbonate chemistry. Nearly all tropical coastal environments exhibit significant CO2 efflux to the atmosphere due to pCO2 and [CO3 2-] oversaturation caused by high rates of respiration and factors linked to fluvial discharge. Except for coral reefs, most calcifying organisms and upwelling regions, tropical estuarine and inshore ecosystems unaffected by eutrophication and other anthropogenic problems should be resilient to future acidification.

Keywords: Coastal; Corals; Coral reefs; Carbonate chemistry; Macrophytes; Mangroves; Ocean acidification; pH; Seagrasses; Tropics

Abbreviations: CO3 2-: Carbonate ion; NH3: Ammonia; HCO3-: Bicarbonate ion; CO2: Carbon dioxide; H+: Hydrogen ion; HNO3: Nitric acid; H2SO4: Sulfuric acid; ppmv: Part per million by volume; μatm: Microatmosphere; mol: Mole; μmol: Micromole (X 10-6 mole); mmol: Millimole (X 10-3 mole); Tmol: Teramole (1012 moles)

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