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Ocean warming is altering the biogeographical distribution of marine organisms. In the tropics, rising sea surface temperatures are restructuring coral reef communities with sensitive species being lost. At the biogeographical divide between temperate and tropical communities, warming is causing macroalgal forest loss and the spread of tropical corals, fishes and other species, termed “tropicalization”. A lack of field research into the combined effects of warming and ocean acidification means there is a gap in our ability to understand and plan for changes in coastal ecosystems. Here, we focus on the tropicalization trajectory of temperate marine ecosystems becoming coral-dominated systems. We conducted field surveys and in situ transplants at natural analogues for present and future conditions under (i) ocean warming and (ii) both ocean warming and acidification at a transition zone between kelp and coral-dominated ecosystems. We show that increased herbivory by warm-water fishes exacerbates kelp forest loss and that ocean acidification negates any benefits of warming for range extending tropical corals growth and physiology at temperate latitudes. Our data show that, as the combined effects of ocean acidification and warming ratchet up, marine coastal ecosystems lose kelp forests but do not gain scleractinian corals. Ocean acidification plus warming leads to overall habitat loss and a shift to simple turf-dominated ecosystems, rather than the complex coral-dominated tropicalized systems often seen with warming alone. Simplification of marine habitats by increased CO2 levels cascades through the ecosystem and could have severe consequences for the provision of goods and services.

Long-term exposure to CO2 -enriched waters can considerably alter marine biological community development, often resulting in simplified systems dominated by turf algae that possess reduced biodiversity and low ecological complexity. Current understanding of the underlying processes by which ocean acidification alters biological community development and stability remains limited, making the management of such shifts problematic. Here, we deployed recruitment tiles in reference (pHT 8.137 ± 0.056 SD) and CO2 -enriched conditions (pHT 7.788 ± 0.105 SD) at a volcanic CO2 seep in Japan to assess the underlying processes and patterns of algal community development. We assessed (i) algal community succession in two different seasons (Cooler months: January-July, and warmer months: July-January), (ii) the effects of initial community composition on subsequent community succession (by reciprocally transplanting preestablished communities for a further 6 months), and (iii) the community production of resulting communities, to assess how their functioning was altered (following 12 months recruitment). Settlement tiles became dominated by turf algae under CO2 -enrichment and had lower biomass, diversity and complexity, a pattern consistent across seasons. This locked the community in a species-poor early successional stage. In terms of community functioning, the elevated pCO2 community had greater net community production, but this did not result in increased algal community cover, biomass, biodiversity or structural complexity. Taken together, this shows that both new and established communities become simplified by rising CO2 levels. Our transplant of preestablished communities from enriched CO2 to reference conditions demonstrated their high resilience, since they became indistinguishable from communities maintained entirely in reference conditions. This shows that meaningful reductions in pCO2 can enable the recovery of algal communities. By understanding the ecological processes responsible for driving shifts in community composition, we can better assess how communities are likely to be altered by ocean acidification.

Previously, we reported seasonal variation in iodine contents in the seagrass Zostera marina. Herein, we sought the factors controlling this variation, and investigated relationships between iodine and carbohydrate contents, using extracts and residues of seagrass samples extracted with 0.1 N HCl. In plants, carbohydrates in HCl-extracted and residual fractions are considered to represent storage and structural carbohydrates, respectively. On average, 44% and 56% of total iodine in samples was contained in the HCl-extracted and residual fractions, respectively. Both HCl-extracted and residual iodine contents showed seasonal trends similar to that of total iodine, being high in winter–spring and low in summer. Total and HCl-extracted carbohydrate contents showed reverse seasonal trends from those of iodine, whereas residual carbohydrate contents had comparable values throughout the sampling period. In the total and HCl-extracted fractions, negative correlations between iodine and carbohydrate contents were confirmed, suggesting that carbohydrates do not play important roles in iodine accumulation. Although most monosaccharide contents were not correlated with iodine contents in these two fractions, residual galactose content was positively correlated with residual iodine. We accordingly suggest that one or more specific structural carbohydrate constituents may potentially function as an iodine store in Z. marina.

Ocean acidification (OA) is a major threat to the persistence of biogenic reefs throughout the world's ocean. Coralline algae are comprised of high magnesium calcite and have long been considered one of the most susceptible taxa to the negative impacts of OA. We summarize these impacts and explore the causes of variability in coralline algal responses using a review/qualitative assessment of all relevant literature, meta-analysis, quantitative assessment of critical responses, and a discussion of physiological mechanisms and directions for future research. We find that most coralline algae experienced reduced abundance, calcification rates, recruitment rates, and declines in pH within the site of calcification in laboratory experiments simulating OA or at naturally elevated CO2 sites. There were no other consistent physiological responses of coralline algae to simulated OA (e.g., photo-physiology, mineralogy, and survival). Calcification/growth was the most frequently measured parameters in coralline algal OA research, and our meta-analyses revealed greater declines in seawater pH were associated with significant decreases in calcification in adults and similar but nonsignificant trends for juveniles. Adults from the family Mesophyllumaceae also tended to be more robust to OA, though there was insufficient data to test similar trends for juveniles. OA was the dominant driver in the majority of laboratory experiments where other local or global drivers were assessed. The interaction between OA and any other single driver was often additive, though factors that changed pH at the surface of coralline algae (light, water motion, epiphytes) acted antagonistically or synergistically with OA more than any other drivers. With advances in experimental design and methodological techniques, we now understand that the physiology of coralline algal calcification largely dictates their responses to OA. However, significant challenges still remain, including improving the geographic and life-history spread of research effort and a need for holistic assessments of physiology.

Human activities are rapidly changing the structure and function of coastal marine ecosystems. Large-scale replacement of kelp forests and coral reefs with turf algal mats is resulting in homogenous habitats that have less ecological and human value. Ocean acidification has strong potential to substantially favour turf algae growth, which led us to examine the mechanisms that stabilise turf algal states. Here we show that ocean acidification promotes turf algae over corals and macroalgae, mediating new habitat conditions that create stabilising feedback loops (altered physicochemical environment and microbial community, and an inhibition of recruitment) capable of locking turf systems in place. Such feedbacks help explain why degraded coastal habitats persist after being initially pushed past the tipping point by global and local anthropogenic stressors. An understanding of the mechanisms that stabilise degraded coastal habitats can be incorporated into adaptive management to better protect the contribution of coastal systems to human wellbeing.

Dynamics of fluorescent dissolved organic matter (FDOM) in ocean environments has received attention over the past few decades. Although it has appeared that in situ production of oceanic FDOM is mainly due to bacteria, the production and bio- and photodegradation processes of bacterial FDOM have not been elucidated. In this study, a culture experiment with bacteria was carried out to assess the production and biodegradation processes of bacterial FDOM. Photodegradation of bacterial FDOM and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) was also examined by exposure to a solar simulator. Bacterial FDOM consists of six components which were determined by parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC). Fluorescence intensities of protein-like FDOM increased with the bacterial biomass, but the increases of humic-like FDOM lagged behind the protein-like FDOM by 5–10 days. Exposure to simulated sunlight caused significant decreases in fluorescence intensities of all components; 52–94% of the initial intensities were lost during 24 h. While, the DOC concentration exhibited a small decrease through the experiment (1.9–11.1%). These results showed that photodegradability of bacteria derived DOC was much less than the fluorescence, indicating that the lifetime of bacteria-derived DOC is much longer than the length estimated by the fluorescence. The role of photobleached FDOM derived from bacteria may be significant in the biogeochemical cycle at the surface layer.

In shallow coastal waters, the types of benthic communities are the result of both environmental and biological drivers. On a global scale, climate and temperature range play an important role in determining the type of benthic communities. Generally, high latitudes and temperate zones have ecosystems dominated by macroalgae, while lower latitudes and especially subtropical and tropical areas have less macroalgae and other types of ecosystems such as coral reefs. The substratum types (soft sediments, sand, or rock) and other environmental factors, such as nutrient load, light availability, or salinity, determine the fine distribution of the different ecosystems found. Each ecosystem will be shaped by a few species, often referred to as foundation species, which will create the habitats that sustain most of the associated biota. Biological interactions, such as top-down control of algae, are also an important determinant in shaping ecosystems. In this chapter, we will introduce three different types of benthic communities: kelp forests, seagrass meadows, and coral reefs.

Ocean acidification will likely change the structure and function of coastal marine ecosystems over coming decades. Volcanic carbon dioxide seeps generate dissolved CO2 and pH gradients that provide realistic insights into the direction and magnitude of these changes. Here, we used fish and benthic community surveys to assess the spatio-temporal dynamics of fish community properties off CO2 seeps in Japan. Adding to previous evidence from ocean acidification ecosystem studies conducted elsewhere, our findings documented shifts from calcified to non-calcified habitats with reduced benthic complexity. In addition, we found that such habitat transition led to decreased diversity of associated fish and to selection of those fish species better adapted to simplified ecosystems dominated by algae. Our data suggest that near-future projected ocean acidification levels will oppose the ongoing range expansion of coral reef-associated fish due to global warming.

Diatoms are so important in ocean food-webs that any human induced changes in their abundance could have major effects on the ecology of our seas. The large chain-forming diatom Biddulphia biddulphiana greatly increases in abundance as pCO2 increases along natural seawater CO2 gradients in the north Pacific Ocean. In areas with reference levels of pCO2, it was hard to find, but as seawater carbon dioxide levels rose, it replaced seaweeds and became the main habitat-forming species on the seabed. This diatom algal turf supported a marine invertebrate community that was much less diverse and completely differed from the benthic communities found at present-day levels of pCO2. Seawater CO2 enrichment stimulated the growth and photosynthetic efficiency of benthic diatoms, but reduced the abundance of calcified grazers such as gastropods and sea urchins. These observations suggest that ocean acidification will shift photic zone community composition so that coastal food-web structure and ecosystem function are homogenised, simplified, and more strongly affected by seasonal algal blooms.

The response of photosynthetic organisms to rising CO2 levels is a key topic in ocean acidification research. Most of the work in this field has focused on physiological responses in laboratory conditions which lack ecological realism. Studies using seeps as natural analogues for ocean acidification have demonstrated shifts in algal community composition, but the effect of CO2 on carbon fixation and export remains unclear. Here, we deployed artificial substrata in a warm-temperate region of Japan to collect algal communities using a CO2 seep off Shikine Island. Diatoms became dominant on settlement substrata in areas with elevated CO2 levels, whereas macroalgae dominated at present-day levels of CO2 (reference site). This was supported by pigment composition; fucoxanthin content, characteristic of diatoms, was higher at the high CO2 site, while more Chlorophyll b, which is characteristic of Chlorophyta, was found in the reference site. Algal communities that recruited in water with high levels of CO2 had elevated rates of photosynthesis. Algal biomass was similar on all settlement panels, regardless of CO2 concentration. Much of the carbon that was fixed by algae in the high CO2 conditions was exported, likely due to detachment from the substratum. Diatoms that dominated under high CO2 conditions are more easily transported away as they have no holdfast, whereas newly settled macroalgae became firmly attached at present-day levels of CO2. These results show that ocean acidification may fundamentally alter coastal carbon cycling, increasing photosynthesis and carbon export from coastal ecosystems in warm-temperate biogeographic regions due to a shift in community composition from perennial to ephemeral algae.

Shallow CO 2 seeps, where CO 2 gas is venting underwater, offer great potential for studies into the effects of ocean acidification at the ecosystem level. To our knowledge, only two tropical system and two temperate systems of such seeps have been described worldwide. Here we describe two new temperate systems: the Mikama Bay and Ashitsuke sites, located on Shikine Island, Japan. The Mikama Bay site is located in a shallow bay. Investigation of the gas and water chemistry showed that the gas contained 98% CO 2 and up to 90 ppm H 2 S. Total alkalinity was constant in time and space with an average of 2265±10 μ mol kg −1 . Mapping of Eh and pH showed that the low pH zones were the largest when currents were moderate. Under moderate currents, Eh values were globally higher and total sulfides concentration lower, supporting that a longer residence time of the bay water allow the oxidation of the sulfides to sulfates. Zones suitable for acidification studies: with a pH lower than 8.0, low saturation state of calcite and aragonite, and non-detectable sulfide concentration, can be defined a few meters from the main venting zone. The second site, Ashitsuke, is located in the inter-tidal zone on a shore composed of boulders. Several areas showed reduced pH sometimes restricted to a few meters and up to 20 m long along the shoreline. Temperature was higher in some of the reduced pH zones suggesting the presence of hot springs in addition to vents. This paper also highlights the need for discovering additional CO 2 seeps, which by their nature often lack comparable replicates and can be confounded by factors other than CO 2 . In this regard, Japan offers great potential as it is home to numerous active volcanoes, representing potential venting sites in climates ranging from tropical to sub-polar.

A large fraction of primary production of macroalgae is released as dissolved organic matter (DOM), and it constitutes a part of the coastal DOM pool. Since photochemical decomposition could be involved in the dynamics of marine DOM, we observed the time course of macroalgal DOM exposed to artificial sunlight. During 24 h of irradiation at 400–765 W m − 2 , concentrations of dissolved organic carbon constantly decreased and 72%–77% of the initial concentration remained, suggesting that macroalgal DOM is mineralized by solar radiation in comparison with the DOM of other marine organisms such as phytoplankton and bacteria. A shift in organic composition was evaluated using analyses of absorption and fluorescence spectra. We found a decrease in the absorption coefficient at 270 nm, suggesting molecular destruction of phenolic compounds. In addition, increases in slope value and ratio could imply a shift towards lower-sized compounds with low aromaticity. The fluorescence analysis showed an increase in humic-like peak in the region with shorter wavelengths. Since it would reflect an accumulation of degradation products with lower molecular weight and less aromaticity, the results of the fluorescence analysis were consistent those of the absorption spectra analysis. The mineralization and molecular shift suggest that sunlight exposure accelerates the decomposition of macroalgal DOM in coastal environments.

Gaetice depressus is one of the most dominant macrozoobenthos species in boulder shores of intertidal coastal ecosystems in Japan. As recorded in previous studies, this species is also considered as having high density and biomass. Consequently, it is thought to be one of the more important species in the organic matter flow of boulder shores, especially through the food web. In this study, some taxonomic problems related to G. depressus were tackled and the autoecology and ecological processes in the intertidal ecosystem of G. depressus, such as organic matter flow, were investigated. Furthermore, in order to clarify the taxonomy description, resolve inconsistencies in the scientific name, and learn about the life history, a literature review was conducted. Seasonal changes in density, morphology pattern and population structure were determined based on the data obtained in Ebisu Island, Japan. Then, the role of G. depressus was determined by estimating the intake and emittance fluxes of organic carbon and nitrogen through ingestion and egestion process in the boulder shores of Ebisu Island. A feeding rate experiment was also conducted in order to estimate the intake flux by using the catch-release-recapture method. Meanwhile, to estimate the emittance flux, a defecation rate experiment was conducted by catching some individuals of G. depressus, and then incubating them in the laboratory. The feeding rate measured by the speed of diet consumption of G. depressus was about 12.6 mg ind-1 h-1. Considering the average density, the intake flux through the feeding process could be estimated as 25.2 mgC m-2 h-1 and 2.6 mgN m-2 h-1. On the other hand, G. depressus egested fecal pellet at the rate of 5.4 mg ind-1 h-1. The average emittance flux through the fecal pellet egesting process is estimated at 5.6 mgC m-2 h-1 and 0.7 mgN m-2 h-1. Therefore, it can be estimated that about 25% of organic matter from diet is egested as fecal pellet, which means that about 75% of the intake flux of organic carbon and nitrogen is used for the total assimilation of G. depressus. Intake flux was also considered as affecting the high dynamism of primary producer consumption. The total population of G. depressus is estimated to consume about 18.4% of primary producer in average throughout the year. Therefore, the turnover time of primary producer by consumption of G. depressus was about five days.

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) in coastal environments has various origins; one of the most intensely studied sources is terrestrial DOM input via rivers. On the other hand, contributions from other significant DOM sources, such as macroalgae, to the coastal DOM pool have not been extensively studied. The present study quantified the contribution of macroalgae to the DOM pool in the coastal environment using, firstly, a bag-covering experiment on a brown alga, Ecklonia cava, and identifying fluorescent DOM components by parallel factor analysis of three-dimensional excitation–emission matrix spectra. Using the fluorescent DOM as an indicator, we evaluated the horizontal distribution of macroalgal DOM in the coastal area, showing that the fluorescent DOM component had a synchronous gradient with dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations along the transect line from the coast to offshore. On the basis of the correlation between DOC and fluorescent DOM, we evaluated concentrations of DOC originating from macroalgae, accounting for up to 20% of total DOC concentrations. This implies that in contrast to previous studies, macroalgae do make a measurable contribution to the coastal DOM pool.

Gaetice depressus , a varunid crab common on intertidal boulder shores, is a potential key organism for monitoring organic matter flow through the food web. In order to elucidate its biogeochemical role, the diet source and trophic position of this crab on the boulder shore of an island off the Izu Peninsula, Japan, were estimated using three approaches: foregut content examination, stable isotope signature (δ 13 C and δ 15 N) and pigment biomarkers. The results suggest that G. depressus utilizes green macroalgae ( Ulva sp., Ulvaria sp.) as its main diet source together with red macroalgae ( Gloiopeltis complanata, Gl. furcata ). This crab also utilizes periphytic and planktonic microau-totrophs (occasionally tissues of heterotrophs) when macroalgae prove insufficient due to seasonal change. Therefore, G. depressus can be considered to be an omnivore since it consumes both autotrophs and heterotrophs, although it obtains organic matter mostly from autotrophs. Key words: diet source, foregut content

To understand the role of zinc (Zn) in the biogeochemical cycle in coastal environments, we examined the bacterial remineralisation of dissolved organic matter (DOM) with 2 composite experiments using microcosms supplemented with Zn. In Expt 1, using samples collected from 2 stations in the Seto Inland Sea, Japan, we found that a decrease in DOM due to bacterial remineralisation during a 14 d experimental period had negative responses to Zn at both sites, but we found an inhibitory effect on bacterial abundance only at a station in the western part of the Seto Inland Sea. In Expt 2, comparison of the response of the remineralisation process to Zn among 3 kinds of organic substrate showed that Zn has little effect on 2 authentic standards (laminarin and bovine serum albumin) and that remineralisation of DOM originating from natural seawater was significantly suppressed by the addition of Zn. Based on the regression curves, we estimated the potential impact of Zn on the remineralisation of DOM. At a water quality standard of Zn concentration (86 ug Zn 1- 1 ), DOM concentrations at the end of the experimental period (Day 14) increased 2.4 to 6.9 %, and turnover time prolonged with a timescale of weeks to months. These potential shifts induced by Zn suggest that the allochthonous input of Zn into the coastal environment leads to suppression of energy flow in the microbial loop and enhances transport of DOM from coastal to offshore areas.

The bioavailability of macroalgal dissolved organic matter (DOM) was examined by decomposition experiments using released DOM from Ecklonia cava Kjellman (Phaeophyceae) living in Oura Bay, Shimoda, Izu Peninsula, Japan. The samples used for the decomposition experiments were obtained by enclosing the plants in bags. Based on the reduction rates of the concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), the turnover times of the macroalgal DOC were calculated to be between 24 and 172 d, with monthly-seasonal timescales. These values were mostly higher than those of phytoplanktonic DOC in previous studies (