Effects of acidification and nitrate eutrophication on the widespread soft coral Xenia umbellata
Fuente:
PANGAEA
Gespeichert in:
| Hauptverfasser: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Dataset Open Access |
| Sprache: | en |
| Veröffentlicht: |
PANGAEA
2025
|
| Schlagworte: | |
| Online-Zugang: | |
| Tags: |
Tag hinzufügen
Keine Tags, Fügen Sie den ersten Tag hinzu!
|
| _version_ | 1867168222191550464 |
|---|---|
| author | Braxator, Lorena Tilstra, Arjen Kim, Soh Young Wild, Christian |
| author_facet | Braxator, Lorena Tilstra, Arjen Kim, Soh Young Wild, Christian |
| collection | Datos científicos de ciencias marinas y ambientales |
| contents | Coral reefs may experience lower pH values as a result of ocean acidification, which has negative consequences for many reef organisms and may be exacerbated by other factors such as eutrophication. Thus far, the effects of these global (acidification) and local (eutrophication) factors have been mainly investigated separately, and previous research concentrated on hard corals. We thus carried out a manipulative aquarium experiment for 21 days to study the response of the widespread pulsating soft coral Xenia umbellata to ocean acidification (stepwise decrease from ambient (8.2) to pH values of 8.0, 7.8, and 7.6) and nitrogen eutrophication, i.e., nitrate concentrations were increased from ambient (< 0.5 µM) to ~5 µM. The effects of these single factors, as well as their combination, on the ecophysiology of X. umbellata were assessed by monitoring the response variables survival, growth rate, pulsation rate, coloration, photosynthesis and respiration, and Symbiodiniaceae cell densities over time. Under acidification, both growth- and pulsation rates significantly decreased by 50 and 25 %, respectively, compared to controls, while the other response variables remained unaffected. Surprisingly, none of the response variables showed a significant change when X. umbellata fragments were exposed to nitrate alone. The addition of nitrate to acidified waters had no interactive effects. Our findings indicate that the investigated soft corals were not affected by nitrate addition and only to some extent by ocean acidification or the combination of both factors. These results contribute to explain the competitive advantage that soft corals may have over hard corals, as currently reported from many reef locations in the Indo-Pacific. |
| format | Dataset Open Access |
| id | pangaea_https___doi_org_10_1594_PANGAEA_959581 |
| institution | PANGAEA |
| language | en |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publisher | PANGAEA |
| record_format | pangaea |
| spellingShingle | Effects of acidification and nitrate eutrophication on the widespread soft coral Xenia umbellata Braxator, Lorena Tilstra, Arjen Kim, Soh Young Wild, Christian acidification; Ammonium; Calcium; Carbonate hardness of water; Color; combined effect; Coral polyp; Date/time end, experiment; Date/time start, experiment; Digital microscope, Xiamen Phio Scientific Instruments Co. Ltd, DN-107T; eutrophication; Experiment; experimental data; Experimental treatment; Experiment day; global factor; Gross photosynthesis rate, oxygen; growth rate; HOBO Pendant Temperature/Light Data Logger, model UA-002-64, Onset; local factor; Magnesium; Measured using software ImageJ; NBS scale; Net photosynthesis rate, oxygen; Nitrite; NO3 Nitrate Test, TESTLAB MARIN, JBL, Germany; octocorals; ODO; Olympus Tough TG-5 Camera; Optical Dissolved Oxygen Sensor; Phosphate; Portable 2-channel multimeter, Hach, HQ40D; pulsation rate; Pulse rate; Respiration rate, oxygen; Salinity; Sample code/label; Species; Species, unique identification; Surface area; Symbiodiniaceae; Tank number; Temperature, water; Test kits, TESTLAB MARIN, JBL, Germany; Treatment: light intensity; Treatment: nitrate; Treatment: pH; Type of study; Xenia umbellata Coral reefs may experience lower pH values as a result of ocean acidification, which has negative consequences for many reef organisms and may be exacerbated by other factors such as eutrophication. Thus far, the effects of these global (acidification) and local (eutrophication) factors have been mainly investigated separately, and previous research concentrated on hard corals. We thus carried out a manipulative aquarium experiment for 21 days to study the response of the widespread pulsating soft coral Xenia umbellata to ocean acidification (stepwise decrease from ambient (8.2) to pH values of 8.0, 7.8, and 7.6) and nitrogen eutrophication, i.e., nitrate concentrations were increased from ambient (< 0.5 µM) to ~5 µM. The effects of these single factors, as well as their combination, on the ecophysiology of X. umbellata were assessed by monitoring the response variables survival, growth rate, pulsation rate, coloration, photosynthesis and respiration, and Symbiodiniaceae cell densities over time. Under acidification, both growth- and pulsation rates significantly decreased by 50 and 25 %, respectively, compared to controls, while the other response variables remained unaffected. Surprisingly, none of the response variables showed a significant change when X. umbellata fragments were exposed to nitrate alone. The addition of nitrate to acidified waters had no interactive effects. Our findings indicate that the investigated soft corals were not affected by nitrate addition and only to some extent by ocean acidification or the combination of both factors. These results contribute to explain the competitive advantage that soft corals may have over hard corals, as currently reported from many reef locations in the Indo-Pacific. |
| title | Effects of acidification and nitrate eutrophication on the widespread soft coral Xenia umbellata |
| topic | acidification; Ammonium; Calcium; Carbonate hardness of water; Color; combined effect; Coral polyp; Date/time end, experiment; Date/time start, experiment; Digital microscope, Xiamen Phio Scientific Instruments Co. Ltd, DN-107T; eutrophication; Experiment; experimental data; Experimental treatment; Experiment day; global factor; Gross photosynthesis rate, oxygen; growth rate; HOBO Pendant Temperature/Light Data Logger, model UA-002-64, Onset; local factor; Magnesium; Measured using software ImageJ; NBS scale; Net photosynthesis rate, oxygen; Nitrite; NO3 Nitrate Test, TESTLAB MARIN, JBL, Germany; octocorals; ODO; Olympus Tough TG-5 Camera; Optical Dissolved Oxygen Sensor; Phosphate; Portable 2-channel multimeter, Hach, HQ40D; pulsation rate; Pulse rate; Respiration rate, oxygen; Salinity; Sample code/label; Species; Species, unique identification; Surface area; Symbiodiniaceae; Tank number; Temperature, water; Test kits, TESTLAB MARIN, JBL, Germany; Treatment: light intensity; Treatment: nitrate; Treatment: pH; Type of study; Xenia umbellata |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.959581 |