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Science 18 April 2008:
Vol. 320. no. 5874, pp. 336 - 340
DOI: 10.1126/science.1154122
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Research Articles

Phytoplankton Calcification in a High-CO2 World

M. Debora Iglesias-Rodriguez,1* Paul R. Halloran,2* Rosalind E. M. Rickaby,2 Ian R. Hall,3 Elena Colmenero-Hidalgo,3{dagger} John R. Gittins,1 Darryl R. H. Green,1 Toby Tyrrell,1 Samantha J. Gibbs,1 Peter von Dassow,4 Eric Rehm,5 E. Virginia Armbrust,5 Karin P. Boessenkool3

Ocean acidification in response to rising atmospheric CO2 partial pressures is widely expected to reduce calcification by marine organisms. From the mid-Mesozoic, coccolithophores have been major calcium carbonate producers in the world's oceans, today accounting for about a third of the total marine CaCO3 production. Here, we present laboratory evidence that calcification and net primary production in the coccolithophore species Emiliania huxleyi are significantly increased by high CO2 partial pressures. Field evidence from the deep ocean is consistent with these laboratory conclusions, indicating that over the past 220 years there has been a 40% increase in average coccolith mass. Our findings show that coccolithophores are already responding and will probably continue to respond to rising atmospheric CO2 partial pressures, which has important implications for biogeochemical modeling of future oceans and climate.

1 National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, University of Southampton Waterfront Campus, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK.
2 Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PR, UK.
3 School of Earth, Ocean and Planetary Sciences, Cardiff University, Main Building, Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3YE, UK.
4 Station Biologique de Roscoff, Place George Teissier, BP 74, 29682 Roscoff Cedex, France.
5 School of Oceanography, Box 357940, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.

* These authors contributed equally to this work.

{dagger} Present address: Departamento de Geología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Salamanca, 37008 Salamanca, Spain.

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E-Letters:

Read all E-Letters

Impact of Coccolith Formation on the Carbon Cycle
Thomas J. Goreau
Science Online, 20 Oct 2008 [Full text]
Response to T. J. Goreau`s E- Letter
M. Debora Iglesias-Rodriguez, et al.
Science Online, 20 Oct 2008 [Full text]

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