Anthropogenically-mediated decreases in pH, termed ocean acidification (OA), may be a major threat to marine organisms and communities. Research has focussed mainly on tropical coral reefs, but temperate reefs play a no less important ecological role in colder waters, where OA effects may first be manifest.
Production of CO2-tolerant microalgae have received much attention as well as physicochemical fixation of CO2 in industrial flue gas. Although many microalgae that are tolerant to high levels of CO2 have been found and evaluated, the CO2 concentration for their good growth is generally lower than their maximum tolerable CO2 level. In the present study, we attempted to isolate microalgae capable of growing in high levels of CO2 (high-level-CO2-preferring microalgae, HCP-microalgae). We used a CO2-permeable polystyrene bottle for the enrichment of HCP-microalgae in environmental samples.
An expedition to the Kavachi submarine volcano (Solomon Islands) in January 2015 was serendipitously timed with a rare lull in volcanic activity that permitted access to the inside of Kavachi's active crater and its flanks. The isolated location of Kavachi and its explosive behavior normally restrict scientific access to the volcano's summit, limiting previous observational efforts to surface imagery and peripheral water-column data.
Ocean acidification (OA) and the biological consequences of altered seawater chemistry have emerged as a significant environmental threat to healthy marine ecosystems. Because a more acidic ocean interferes with fixation of calcium carbonate to form shells or calcified skeletons, future ocean chemistry may significantly alter the physiology of calcifying marine organisms. These alterations may manifest themselves directly in the calcification process, or have synergistic effects with other environmental factors such as elevated temperatures.