Molecular responses of calcifying and non-calcifying Antarctic benthic species to Ocean Acidification - Apoptotic activity

Southern Ocean organisms are thought to be particularly vulnerable to ocean acidification, as they inhabit cold waters where calcite-aragonite saturation states are naturally low. It is also generally assumed that calcifying animals would be more affected by ocean acidification than non-calcifying ones. In this context, we aimed to study the impacts of reduced pH on the ascidia Cnemidocarpa verrucosa sp. A. Here, we used gene expression profiling and enzymatic activity to study the responses of that Antarctic benthic species to ocean acidification.