Impact of elevated levels of CO2 on animal mediated ecosystem function: The modification of sediment nutrient fluxes by burrowing urchins

Widdicombe, Stephen; Beesley, A; Berge, J A; Dashfield, S L; McNeill, C L; Needham, H R; Øxnevad, S

Impact of elevated levels of CO2 on animal mediated ecosystem function: The modification of sediment nutrient fluxes by burrowing urchins

2013

A mesocosm experiment was conducted to quantify the relationships between the presence and body size of two burrowing heart urchins (Brissopsis lyrifera and Echinocardium cordatum) and rates of sediment nutrient flux. Furthermore, the impact of seawater acidification on these relationships was determined during this 40-day exposure experiment. Using carbon dioxide (CO2) gas, seawater was acidified to pHNBS 7.6, 7.2 or 6.8. Control treatments were maintained in natural seawater (pH = 8.0). Under normocapnic conditions, burrowing urchins were seen to reduce the sediment uptake of nitrite or nitrate whilst enhancing the release of silicate and phosphate. In acidified (hypercapnic) treatments, the biological control of biogeochemical cycles by urchins was significantly affected, probably through the combined impacts of high CO2 on nitrifying bacteria, benthic algae and urchin behaviour. This study highlights the importance of considering biological interactions when predicting the consequences of seawater acidification on ecosystem function.

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AGROVOC Keywords

alkalinity ammonium animalia behaviour benthos carbon carbon dioxide echinodermata mass nitrate nitrite north atlantic ph phosphate salinity silicate size species status temperature water

Bibliographic information

Publisher

PANGAEA

Other Subjects

Potentiometric titration; Bicarbonate ion; Calculated using seacarb after nisumaa et al. (2010); Fugacity of carbon dioxide (water) at sea surface temperature (wet air); Benthic animals; Nbs scale; Standard deviation; Carbonate ion; Coast and continental shelf; Potentiometric; Inorganic; Partial pressure of carbon dioxide (water) at sea surface temperature (wet air); Echinocardium cordatum; Flux; Temperate; Mortality/survival; Brissopsis lyrifera; Ocean acidification international coordination centre; Comment; Single species; Bottles or small containers/aquaria (<20 l); Aragonite saturation state; Total scale; Total; Treatment; Laboratory experiment; Oa-icc; Dissolved; Carbonate system computation flag; Calcite saturation state

Language

English

Format

text/tab-separated-values, 4040 data points

License

CC-BY-3.0: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported, Access constraints: unrestricted, info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess

Type

Dataset

Source

Supplement to: Widdicombe, Stephen; Beesley, A; Berge, J A; Dashfield, S L; McNeill, C L; Needham, H R; Øxnevad, S (2013): Impact of elevated levels of CO2 on animal mediated ecosystem function: The modification of sediment nutrient fluxes by burrowing urchins. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 73(2), 416-427, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2012.11.008

In AGRIS since: 2024-11-28

Modification date: 2024-11-28

Format: Dublin Core

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This bibliographic record has been provided by Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research

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