Influence of sea water acidification on polychaete microbiota

The volcanic CO2 vents of the Castello Aragonese of Ischia Island (Gulf of Naples, Italy, Mediterranean sea) were exploited as a laboratory of ocean acidification, in light of the absence of any environmental perturbing factor other than pH, which varies following a gradient. Two polychaete species previously reported as tolerant to water acidification, Syllis prolifera and Platynereis massiliensis, were sampled in three zones of the vents at decreasing pH and the differences in the composition of their microbiota were evaluated.