Catriona L. Hurd
Department of Botany, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand

Thurs 9 Feb, 14:30 – 15:20
IMAS Sandy Bay seminar room

Abstract:
The world’s oceans have absorbed up ~ 30% of the carbon dioxide released by human activity since the Industrial Revolution.  The result is that our oceans are becoming more acidic, a process termed ocean acidification.  Research has focused on how ocean acidification will affect the ability of marine shellfish and corals to build and maintain their calcium carbonate shells and skeletons.  Marine algae (seaweeds and microscopic phytoplankton) are responsible for half of global primary productivity, and require carbon dioxide for photosynthesis.  Because ocean acidification alters the availability of carbon dioxide, and other dissolved carbon sources to algae, it has the potential to affect the productivity of all marine algae.  This fact has been largely overlooked but changes to algal productivity have wide ranging implications for marine food webs and fisheries.  Using targeted physiological studies in conjunction with ecosystem surveys, we are examining which algal groups, calcifying and non-calcifying, macroscopic and microscopic, will be most susceptible to ocean acidification.  Results will allow predictions of the future vulnerability of New Zealand’s algal-based coastal and open ocean ecosystems to ocean acidification.