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Sensitivities of extant animal taxa to ocean acidification

Nature Climate Change volume 3, pages 995–1001 (2013)Cite this article

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Abstract

Anthropogenic CO2 emitted to the atmosphere is absorbed by the oceans, causing a progressive increase in ocean inorganic carbon concentrations and resulting in decreased water pH and calcium carbonate saturation. This phenomenon, called ocean acidification, is in addition to the warming effects of CO2 emissions. Ocean acidification has been reported to affect ocean biota, but the severity of this threat to ocean ecosystems (and humans depending on these ecosystems) is poorly understood. Here we evaluate the scale of this threat in the context of widely used representative concentration pathways (RCPs) by analysing the sensitivities of five animal taxa (corals, echinoderms, molluscs, crustaceans and fishes) to a wide range of CO2 concentrations. Corals, echinoderms and molluscs are more sensitive to RCP8.5 (936 ppm in 2100) than are crustaceans. Larval fishes may be even more sensitive than the lower invertebrates, but taxon sensitivity on evolutionary timescales remains obscure. The variety of responses within and between taxa, together with observations in mesocosms and palaeo-analogues, suggest that ocean acidification is a driver for substantial change in ocean ecosystems this century, potentially leading to long-term shifts in species composition.

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Figure 1: Schematic summarizing effects of ocean acidification on animals.
Figure 2: Sensitivities of animal taxa to ocean acidification.
Figure 3: Sensitivities (fractions (%) of species) of corals, echinoderms, molluscs, crustaceans and fishes negatively affected within each p CO 2 range (depicted as Log10 of mean p CO 2 in μatm).

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank K. Caldeira for helpful comments on the manuscript. This study was supported by grant no. 01 LG 1005F of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The authors are liable for the contents of this publication.

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  1. Integrative Ecophysiology, Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Am Handelshafen 12, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany

    Astrid C. Wittmann & Hans-O. Pörtner

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A.C.W. surveyed the literature and analysed the data accounting for ideas by H-O.P. A.C.W. wrote a first draft of the manuscript, which was subsequently revised by both authors.

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Correspondence to Astrid C. Wittmann.

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Wittmann, A., Pörtner, HO. Sensitivities of extant animal taxa to ocean acidification. Nature Clim Change 3, 995–1001 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate1982

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