New Research: Ocean Acidification May Make Seaweed Species Vulnerable

Tech 2023-10-06 15:08:13 Source: Network

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, October 5thWhat is the impact of ocean acidification on seaweed? Swedish researchers recently published a paper in the American journal Current Biology, stating that ocean acidification may affect the chemical balance of seaweed, making its structure and organization fragile and reducing its overall survival chances.Previous research predicted that by the end of this century, the degree of ocean acidification may reach about three times the current level

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, October 5thWhat is the impact of ocean acidification on seaweed? Swedish researchers recently published a paper in the American journal Current Biology, stating that ocean acidification may affect the chemical balance of seaweed, making its structure and organization fragile and reducing its overall survival chances.

Previous research predicted that by the end of this century, the degree of ocean acidification may reach about three times the current level. Researchers from the University of Gothenburg and the Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden simulated a possible ocean acidification environment by dissolving enough carbon dioxide in seawater samples by 2100, and then cultured a common brown algae - cyanobacteria - in this acidified seawater for 90 days.

During the experiment, researchers measured the growth rate and minor structural changes of seaweed. They also calculate the photosynthetic efficiency of seaweed, analyze its chemical composition and bacterial strength, and observe how seaweed moves or breaks under simulated wave mechanical stress to analyze whether it faces a higher risk of damage in the ocean.

After comparing with seaweed growing in non acidified seawater, researchers found that in acidified seawater, seaweed is actually more prone to growth, photosynthesis is more effective, and damage is not significantly increased. But researchers also found that the bacterial strength and tissue density of seaweed in acidified seawater decreased, the overall structure became more porous, and the calcium and magnesium contents were also lower. Calcium and magnesium are important nutrients for plants to maintain structural strength and flexibility. Overall, in acidic environments, seaweed is more prone to rupture and death.

Researchers suggest that the negative effects of ocean acidification on the structure and strength of seaweed tissue may have a significant impact on coastal ecosystems. This change may lead to an overall reduction in the coverage of seaweed, which in turn may have an impact on organisms that rely on seaweed for food and habitat. Researchers say more research is still needed to understand whether ocean acidification has similar effects on all brown algae.

sourceXinhua News Agency

Editor Gao Chenchen

Process Editor Yan Shengmiao

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Tag: New Research Ocean Acidification May Make Seaweed Species Vulnerable