1. The future of the northeast Atlantic benthic flora in a high CO2 world
- Author
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Brodie, Juliet, Williamson, Christopher J., Smale, Dan A., Kamenos, Nicholas A., Mieszkowska, Nova, Santos, Rui, Cunliffe, Michael, Steinke, Michael, Yesson, Christopher, Anderson, Kathryn M., Asnaghi, Valentina, Brownlee, Colin, Burdett, Heidi L., Burrows, Michael T., Collins, Sinead, Donohue, Penelope J.C., Harvey, Ben, Foggo, Andrew, Noisette, Fanny, Nunes, Joana, Ragazzola, Federica, Raven, John A., Schmidt, Daniela N., Suggett, David, Teichberg, Mirta, Hall-Spencer, Jason M., Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum [London] (NHM), School of Earth and Ocean Sciences [Cardiff], Cardiff University, Marine Biological Association of the UK, The Laboratory, National Oceanography Centre [Southampton] (NOC), University of Southampton, School of Geographical and Earth Sciences, University of Glasgow, Marine Plant Ecology Research Group (ALGAE), Centre of Marine Sciences [Faro] (CCMAR), University of Algarve [Portugal]-University of Algarve [Portugal], School of Biological Sciences [Colchester], University of Essex, Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Department of Zoology (The University of British Columbia), University of British Columbia (UBC), Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences (DISTAV), Universita degli studi di Genova, Marine Biological Association, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews [Scotland], School of Earth and Environmental Sciences [University St Andrews], Scottish Marine Institute, Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Marine Biology and Ecology Research Centre, Plymouth University, Ecogéochimie et Fonctionnement des Ecosystèmes Benthiques (EFEB), Adaptation et diversité en milieu marin (AD2M), Station biologique de Roscoff [Roscoff] (SBR), Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Station biologique de Roscoff [Roscoff] (SBR), Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML), Plymouth Marine Laboratory, School of Earth Sciences [Bristol], University of Bristol [Bristol], Plant Functional Biology and Climate Change Cluster (C3), University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Division of Plant Sciences, University of Dundee, Leibniz-Zentrum für Marine Tropenökologie, UK Ocean Acidification Research Programme - NERC, UK Ocean Acidification Research Programme - Defra, UK Ocean Acidification Research Programme - DECC, NERC OARP [NE/H016996/1], University of St Andrews. Earth and Environmental Sciences, and Università degli studi di Genova = University of Genoa (UniGe)
- Subjects
macroalgae ,Calcified algae ,Climate Research ,microphytobenthos ,Evolution ,QH301 Biology ,[SDV]Life Sciences [q-bio] ,Seagrasses ,Growth ,Review ,Ecosystems ,Klimatforskning ,invasive species ,QH301 ,Macroalgae ,SDG 13 - Climate Action ,Climate change ,SDG 14 - Life Below Water ,volatile gases ,Climate-change ,Biology ,Ekologi ,Ecology ,Invasive species ,Ocean acidification ,fungi ,Microphytobenthos ,Temperature ,Geokemi ,Coralline Algae ,Carbon ,Geochemistry ,Volatile gases ,Kelp ,climate change ,seagrasses ,[SDE]Environmental Sciences - Abstract
Seaweed and seagrass communities in the northeast Atlantic have been profoundly impacted by humans, and the rate of change is accelerating rapidly due to runaway CO2 emissions and mounting pressures on coastlines associated with human population growth and increased consumption of finite resources. Here, we predict how rapid warming and acidification are likely to affect benthic flora and coastal ecosystems of the northeast Atlantic in this century, based on global evidence from the literature as interpreted by the collective knowledge of the authorship. We predict that warming will kill off kelp forests in the south and that ocean acidification will remove maerl habitat in the north. Seagrasses will proliferate, and associated epiphytes switch from calcified algae to diatoms and filamentous species. Invasive species will thrive in niches liberated by loss of native species and spread via exponential development of artificial marine structures. Combined impacts of seawater warming, ocean acidification, and increased storminess may replace structurally diverse seaweed canopies, with associated calcified and noncalcified flora, with simple habitats dominated by noncalcified, turf-forming seaweeds. In this study, predictions are made as to how rapid warming and ocean acidification are likely to affect benthic flora and coastal ecosystems of the north-east Atlantic in this century based on global evidence from the literature as interpreted by the collective knowledge of the authorship. We predict that kelp forests will die out in the south due to warming, maerl habitat lost in the north through acidification, seagrasses will proliferate, associated epiphytes will switch from calcified algae to diatoms and filamentous species, and invasive species will thrive. Thus, structurally diverse seaweed canopies with associated calcified and noncalcified flora may be replaced with simple habitats dominated by noncalcified, turf-forming seaweeds. © 2014 The Authors.
- Published
- 2014
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