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<DIV><BR><FONT face=Arial size=2>Ecology Letters<BR>Volume 13, Issue 11, pages
1419–1434, November 2010</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Article first published online: 16 AUG 2010<BR>DOI:
10.1111/j.1461-0248.2010.01518.x<BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><FONT size=4>Meta-analysis reveals negative yet
variable effects of ocean acidification on marine organisms</FONT><BR>Kristy J.
Kroeker1,*, Rebecca L. Kordas2, Ryan N. Crim2, Gerald G. Singh2<BR>1 Stanford
University, Hopkins Marine Station, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA2 University of
British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T1Z4*Correspondence: Kristy J.
Kroeker, E-mail:
kkroeker@stanford.edu<BR><BR><STRONG>Abstract</STRONG><BR></DIV></FONT>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Ocean acidification is a pervasive stressor that
could affect many marine organisms and cause profound ecological shifts. A
variety of biological responses to ocean acidification have been measured across
a range of taxa, but this information exists as case studies and has not been
synthesized into meaningful comparisons amongst response variables and
functional groups. We used meta-analytic techniques to explore the biological
responses to ocean acidification, and found negative effects on survival,
calcification, growth and reproduction. However, there was significant variation
in the sensitivity of marine organisms. Calcifying organisms generally exhibited
larger negative responses than non-calcifying organisms across numerous response
variables, with the exception of crustaceans, which calcify but were not
negatively affected. Calcification responses varied significantly amongst
organisms using different mineral forms of calcium carbonate. Organisms using
one of the more soluble forms of calcium carbonate (high-magnesium calcite) can
be more resilient to ocean acidification than less soluble forms (calcite and
aragonite). Additionally, there was variation in the sensitivities of different
developmental stages, but this variation was dependent on the taxonomic group.
Our analyses suggest that the biological effects of ocean acidification are
generally large and negative, but the variation in sensitivity amongst organisms
has important implications for ecosystem responses.</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>