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Major Cellular and Physiological Impacts of Ocean Acidification on a Reef Building Coral

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Kaniewska, P., Campbell, P. R., Kline, D. I., Rodriguez-Lanetty, M., Miller, D. J., Dove, S. and Hoegh-Guldberg, O. (2012) Major Cellular and Physiological Impacts of Ocean Acidification on a Reef Building Coral. Plos One, 7 (4). ISSN 1932-6203

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Article Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0034659

Abstract

As atmospheric levels of CO2 increase, reef-building corals are under greater stress from both increased sea surface temperatures and declining sea water pH. To date, most studies have focused on either coral bleaching due to warming oceans or declining calcification due to decreasing oceanic carbonate ion concentrations. Here, through the use of physiology measurements and cDNA microarrays, we show that changes in pH and ocean chemistry consistent with two scenarios put forward by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) drive major changes in gene expression, respiration, photosynthesis and symbiosis of the coral, Acropora millepora, before affects on biomineralisation are apparent at the phenotype level. Under high CO2 conditions corals at the phenotype level lost over half their Symbiodinium populations, and had a decrease in both photosynthesis and respiration. Changes in gene expression were consistent with metabolic suppression, an increase in oxidative stress, apoptosis and symbiont loss. Other expression patterns demonstrate upregulation of membrane transporters, as well as the regulation of genes involved in membrane cytoskeletal interactions and cytoskeletal remodeling. These widespread changes in gene expression emphasize the need to expand future studies of ocean acidification to include a wider spectrum of cellular processes, many of which may occur before impacts on calcification.

Item Type:Article
Business groups:Horticulture and Forestry Science
Subjects:Aquaculture and Fisheries > Fisheries > Fishery meteorology. Climatic factors
Agriculture > Agriculture (General) > Conservation of natural resources
Live Archive:08 Apr 2014 04:10
Last Modified:12 Apr 2022 01:18

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