Effect of Ocean Acidification on Iron Availability to Marine Phytoplankton

The acidification caused by the dissolution of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the ocean changes the chemistry and hence the bioavailability of iron (Fe), a limiting nutrient in large oceanic regions. Here, we show that the bioavailability of dissolved Fe may decline because of ocean acidifica...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2010-02, Vol.327 (5966), p.676-679
Main Authors: Shi, Dalin, Xu, Yan, Hopkinson, Brian M, Morel, François M.M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acidification
Animal and plant ecology
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Atlantic Ocean
Atmosphere
Bacillariophyceae
Bioavailability
Biochemistry
Biological and medical sciences
Carbon dioxide
Carbon Dioxide - metabolism
Diatoms - metabolism
Dissolution
Edetic Acid - chemistry
Ferric Compounds - chemistry
Ferric Compounds - metabolism
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
Iron
Iron - chemistry
Iron Chelating Agents - chemistry
Ligands
Lysine - analogs & derivatives
Lysine - chemistry
Marine
Marine ecology
Mathematical models
Oceans
Oceans and Seas
Photosynthesis
Phytoplankton
Phytoplankton - metabolism
Plankton
Sea water ecosystems
Seawater - chemistry
Siderophores - chemistry
Synecology
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Summary:The acidification caused by the dissolution of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the ocean changes the chemistry and hence the bioavailability of iron (Fe), a limiting nutrient in large oceanic regions. Here, we show that the bioavailability of dissolved Fe may decline because of ocean acidification. Acidification of media containing various Fe compounds decreases the Fe uptake rate of diatoms and coccolithophores to an extent predicted by the changes in Fe chemistry. A slower Fe uptake by a model diatom with decreasing pH is also seen in experiments with Atlantic surface water. The Fe requirement of model phytoplankton remains unchanged with increasing CO₂. The ongoing acidification of seawater is likely to increase the Fe stress of phytoplankton populations in some areas of the ocean.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.1183517