A continuous-flow and on-site mesocosm for ocean acidification experiments on benthic organisms

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Abstract: 

Mesocosm experiments conducted for ecological purposes have become increasingly popular because they can provide a holistic understanding of the biological complexities associated with natural systems. This paper describes a new outdoor mesocosm designed for CO2 perturbation experiments of benthos. Manipulated the carbonate chemistry in a continuous flow-through system can be parallelized with diurnal changes, while irradiance, temperature, and nutrients can vary according to the local environment. A target hydrogen ion activity (pH) of seawater was sufficiently stabilized and maintained within 4 h after dilution, which was initiated by the ratio of CO2-saturated seawater to ambient seawater. Specifically, pH and CO2 partial pressure (pCO2) levels gradually varied from 8.05–7.28 and 375–2,691 μatm, respectively, over a range of dilution ratios. This mesocosm can successfully manipulate the pH and pCO2 of seawater, and it demonstrates suitability for ocean acidification experiments on benthic communities.

Author(s): 
Ju-Hyoung Kim
Eun Ju Kang
Keunyong Kim
Kwang Young Kim
Keywords: 
carbonate chemistry
CO2 partial pressure
continuous flow-through system
ocean acidification
Link / Ref: 
Algae
Attachment: 
PDF icon Mescocosm for acidification experiments.pdf
Article Source: 
Algae 2018, 33(4): 359--366
Category: 
Aquaculture methods
Microalgae
Uses of Seaweeds: Miscellaneous