ESF EuroCLIMATE Workshop

Some cross-cutting scientific questions:

Cavolina tridentate (pteropods). Courtesy of Victoria Fabry.

Cavolina tridentate (pteropods). Courtesy of Victoria Fabry.

  1. Will biological calcification significantly modulate the response of the ocean calcification system, or will the gross effects be similar to those of an inorganic system? i.e. how much biology do we need to include in order to accurately predict the effect of rising CO2 levels on oceanic biogeochemical cycling of CO2 and carbonate?
     
  2. How will rising CO2 levels affect the calcifying taxa - will they produce lighter skeletons and/or will there be significant reductions in gross productivity and selective extinctions?
     
  3. What will be the secondary ecological and biogeochemical consequences of a reduction in biocalcifiying plankton? For example:
    a. Coccolithophores frequently form major blooms in temperate latitudes during summer. These blooms are spectacular but essentially harmless. If coccolithophore blooms are suppressed by ocean acidification is it likely that they will be replaced by blooms of more harmful organisms such as toxic dinoflagellates, Phaeocystis or Prymnesium parvum?
    b. Will a decrease in calcification significantly reduce the export flux of organic carbon through a reduction in ballasting, and will this reduce the oceanic sink for atmospheric CO2? 
     
  4. How will changes in the biogeography of key planktonic calcifiers affect overall marine carbonate export production? For example, coccolithophore culture experiments have suggested major variation among species in their responses to changes in seawater pH. Are such differing responses expected for other calcifying organisms like foraminifera and pteropods? How will this impact the marine component of the global C cycle?
     
  5. How will functional gene-diversity respond to changes in ocean chemistry such as acidification and nutrient distribution? What is known about the evolution of these genes and the potential short-term adaptability of the organisms?