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SEMINAR: MBF 602 seminar- Carolyn Margolin Friday, April 9th , 2010 4:00pm S/A seminar room

From: Cary Rios <crios@rsmas.miami.edu>
Subject: SEMINAR: MBF 602 seminar- Carolyn Margolin Friday, April 9th , 2010 4:00pm S/A seminar room
Date: Thu, 8 Apr 2010 14:39:11 -0400

Interactive Effects of Light, Flow, and Ocean Acidification on

Pocillopora damicornis

 

As the carbon dioxide in our atmosphere continues to rise and the ocean’s pH and aragonite saturation state drop accordingly, it is imperative that we understand not only how changing ocean chemistry alone will influence the growth of reef building species, but also how other physical factors will interact with these changes.  A laboratory experiment examining the growth of Pocillopora damicornis under various combinations of pH, water flow rates, and light levels showed significant influences of these combined effects on a number of growth parameters.  Change in mass/live tissue surface area and increases in colony complexity (branch tips), show significantly higher values under current water chemistry conditions for multiple light and flow rate combinations.  However, percent cover of live tissue and photosynthetic yield show significantly higher values under conditions of lower pH under some experimental treatments.  The growth rates of the Pocillopora damicornis examined under mid flow (~15cm/s) conditions were generally unaffected by variation in pH level, while corals in higher and lower regimes experienced significant decreases in growth under lower pH conditions.  Therefore, MPAs intended to preserve P. damicornis dependent reef habitats should be placed in areas exhibiting a moderate flow regime.  Efforts should be made to target areas that have high (~170 µmols-1m-2µA-1)  or low (~45 µmols-1m-2µA-1) light exposure while avoiding those in the 80-100 µmols-1m-2µA-1, since that combination of conditions showed the detrimental effects on growth parameters under decreased pH conditions.

 

 

 

 

 

Carolyn Margolin

Advised by: Peter W. Glynn

Cornell University B.S. Biology 2001

Entered University of Miami Ph.D. Program Fall 2003

 



Cary Rios
Graduate Studies Office
University of Miami
Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science
4600 Rickenbacker Cswy
S/A 132
P. 305.421.4920
F. 305.421.4771
http://www.rsmas.miami.edu
crios@rsmas.miami.edu

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