Ocean acidification increases domoic acid contents during a spring to summer succession of coastal phytoplankton

Publication date: Available online 21 November 2019Source: Harmful AlgaeAuthor(s): Sylke Wohlrab, Uwe John, Kerstin Klemm, Tim Eberlein, Anna Maria Forsberg Grivogiannis, Bernd Krock, Stephan Frickenhaus, Lennart T. Bach, Björn Rost, Ulf Riebesell, Dedmer B. Van de WaalAbstractEnrichment of the oceans with CO2 may be beneficial for some marine phytoplankton, including harmful algae. Numerous laboratory experiments provided valuable insights into the effects of elevated pCO2 on the growth and physiology of harmful algal species, including the production of phycotoxins. Experiments close to natural conditions are the next step to improve predictions, as they consider the complex interplay between biotic and abiotic factors that can confound the direct effects of ocean acidification. We therefore investigated the effect of ocean acidification on the occurrence and abundance of phycotoxins in bulk plankton samples during a long-term mesocosm experiment in the Gullmar Fjord, Sweden, an area frequently experiencing harmful algal blooms. During the experimental period, a total of seven phycotoxin-producing harmful algal genera were identified in the fjord, and in accordance, six toxin classes were detected. However, within the mesocosms, only domoic acid and the corresponding producer Pseudo-nitzschia spp. was observed. Despite high variation within treatments, significantly higher particulate domoic acid contents were measured in the mesocosms with elevated pCO2. Higher particulat...
Source: Harmful Algae - Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research