Impact of ocean acidification on benthic and water column ammonia oxidation

Kitidis, Vassilis; Laverock, Bonnie; McNeill, L.; Beesley, Amanda; Cummings, Denise; Tait, Karen; Osborn, Mark A.; Widdicombe, Stephen

doi:10.1029/2011gl049095

Cited by 73 publications

(67 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…cessation of ammonia oxidation at pH 6.5 (Kitidis et al 2011). In artificially acidified lakes, Rudd et al (1988) also observed the complete shutdown of nitrification at pH below 5.7.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 86%

Acidification alters the composition of ammonia‑oxidizing microbial assemblages in marine mesocosms

Bowen¹,

Kearns²,

Holcomb³

et al. 2013

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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“…cessation of ammonia oxidation at pH 6.5 (Kitidis et al 2011). In artificially acidified lakes, Rudd et al (1988) also observed the complete shutdown of nitrification at pH below 5.7.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 86%

Acidification alters the composition of ammonia‑oxidizing microbial assemblages in marine mesocosms

Bowen¹,

Kearns²,

Holcomb³

et al. 2013

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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“…Recently, we have shown [8] that for several different sediment types a reduction in seawater pH had no effect upon ammonia oxidation rates in surface sediments, in contrast to the reduction in rates observed within the corresponding overlying water samples. We suggested two reasons for this discrepancy: firstly, that the dissolution of carbonate minerals within the sediment may act to buffer the pore water pH, minimizing the effect of OA, and/or, secondly, that a change in the structure of microbial nitrifying communities occured within the sediment, favouring bacteria or archaea that are more tolerant of low-pH conditions [8].…”

mentioning

confidence: 82%

“…both in situ and experimental studies covering a range of pH values (from 6.0 to approx. 8.10) [6][7][8][9].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bioturbation determines the response of benthic ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms to ocean acidification

Laverock

Kitidis

Tait

et al. 2013

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

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Ocean acidification (OA), caused by the dissolution of increasing concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) in seawater, is projected to cause significant changes to marine ecology and biogeochemistry. Potential impacts on the microbially driven cycling of nitrogen are of particular concern. Specifically, under seawater pH levels approximating future OA scenarios, rates of ammonia oxidation (the rate-limiting first step of the nitrification pathway) have been shown to dramatically decrease in seawater, but not in underlying sediments. However, no prior study has considered the interactive effects of microbial ammonia oxidation and macrofaunal bioturbation activity, which can enhance nitrogen transformation rates. Using experimental mesocosms, we investigated the responses to OA of ammonia oxidizing microorganisms inhabiting surface sediments and sediments within burrow walls of the mud shrimp Upogebia deltaura . Seawater was acidified to one of four target pH values (pH T 7.90, 7.70, 7.35 and 6.80) in comparison with a control (pH T 8.10). At pH T 8.10, ammonia oxidation rates in burrow wall sediments were, on average, fivefold greater than in surface sediments. However, at all acidified pH values (pH ≤ 7.90), ammonia oxidation rates in burrow sediments were significantly inhibited (by 79–97%; p < 0.01), whereas rates in surface sediments were unaffected. Both bacterial and archaeal abundances increased significantly as pH T declined; by contrast, relative abundances of bacterial and archaeal ammonia oxidation ( amoA ) genes did not vary. This research suggests that OA could cause substantial reductions in total benthic ammonia oxidation rates in coastal bioturbated sediments, leading to corresponding changes in coupled nitrogen cycling between the benthic and pelagic realms.

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“…Previous studies were focused either in predicting the effects of future pH reduction or investigating the biogeochemical outcomes of coastal pH decline on certain organisms' response/survival or merely on the processes ultimately determining CO 2 fate and impact in aquatic systems (e.g. Andersson et al, 2007;Kitidis et al, 2011;Widdicombe et al, 2009;Laverock et al, 2014). Marine systems however, constitute of specific features, more complex than simple chemical or thermodynamic equilibria which are necessary, nonetheless, for any calculation or prediction model.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Simulation of Coastal Processes affecting pH with Impacts on Carbon and Nutrient Biogeochemistry

et al. 2018

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Naturally occurring microbial decomposition of organic matter (OM) in coastal marine environments cause increased acidity in deeper layers similar or even exceeding the future predictions for global ocean acidification (OA). Experimental studies in coastal areas characterized by increased inputs of OM and nutrients, coping with intermittent hypoxic/anoxic conditions, provide better understanding of the mechanisms affecting nutrients and carbon biogeochemistry under the emerging effects of coastal pH decrease. Laboratory CO 2 -manipulated microcosm experiments were conducted using seawater and surface sediment collected from the deepest part of Elefsis Bay (Saronikos Gulf, Eastern Mediterranean) focusing to study the co-evolution of processes affected by the decline of dissolved oxygen and pH induced by (a) OM remineralization and (b) the future anthropogenic increase of atmospheric CO 2 . Under more acidified conditions, a significant increase of total alkalinity was observed partially attributed to the sedimentary carbonate dissolution and the reactive nitrogen species shift towards ammonium. Νitrate and nitrite decline, in parallel with ammonium increase, demonstrated a deceleration of ammonium oxidation processes along with decrease in nitrate production. The decreased DIN:DIP ratio, the prevalence of organic nutrient species against the inorganic ones, the observations of constrained DON degradation and nitrate production decline and the higher DOC concentrations revealed the possible inhibition of OM decomposition under lower pH values. Finally, our results highlight the need for detailed studies of the carbonate system in coastal areas dominated by hypoxic/anoxic conditions, accompanied by other biogeochemical parameters and properly designed experiments to elucidate the processes sequence or alterations due to pH reduction.

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Impact of ocean acidification on benthic and water column ammonia oxidation

Cited by 73 publications

References 32 publications

Acidification alters the composition of ammonia‑oxidizing microbial assemblages in marine mesocosms

Acidification alters the composition of ammonia‑oxidizing microbial assemblages in marine mesocosms

Bioturbation determines the response of benthic ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms to ocean acidification

Simulation of Coastal Processes affecting pH with Impacts on Carbon and Nutrient Biogeochemistry

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