Ocean acidification accelerates reef bioerosion

In the recent discussion how biotic systems may react to ocean acidification caused by the rapid rise in carbon dioxide partial pressure (pCO(2)) in the marine realm, substantial research is devoted to calcifiers such as stony corals. The antagonistic process - biologically induced carbonate dissolu...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:PloS one 2012-09, Vol.7 (9), p.e45124-e45124
Main Authors: Wisshak, Max, Schönberg, Christine H L, Form, Armin, Freiwald, André
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acidification
Acids - chemistry
Animals
Australia
Bioerosion
Biology
Calcification
Carbon dioxide
Carbonates
Carbonates - metabolism
Chemical attack
Chemistry
Circadian Rhythm
Climate change
Cliona orientalis
Colonies & territories
Conservation of Natural Resources
Coral Reefs
Corals
Critical pressure
Earth Sciences
Efficiency
Environmental aspects
Environmental conditions
Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
Influence
Islands
Ocean acidification
Oceans
Oceans and Seas
Organisms
Partial pressure
Porifera - physiology
Porites
Pressure
Protection and preservation
Reefs
Sponges
Temperature
Time Factors
Citations: Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:In the recent discussion how biotic systems may react to ocean acidification caused by the rapid rise in carbon dioxide partial pressure (pCO(2)) in the marine realm, substantial research is devoted to calcifiers such as stony corals. The antagonistic process - biologically induced carbonate dissolution via bioerosion - has largely been neglected. Unlike skeletal growth, we expect bioerosion by chemical means to be facilitated in a high-CO(2) world. This study focuses on one of the most detrimental bioeroders, the sponge Cliona orientalis, which attacks and kills live corals on Australia's Great Barrier Reef. Experimental exposure to lowered and elevated levels of pCO(2) confirms a significant enforcement of the sponges' bioerosion capacity with increasing pCO(2) under more acidic conditions. Considering the substantial contribution of sponges to carbonate bioerosion, this finding implies that tropical reef ecosystems are facing the combined effects of weakened coral calcification and accelerated bioerosion, resulting in critical pressure on the dynamic balance between biogenic carbonate build-up and degradation.
ISSN:1932-6203
1932-6203
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0045124