Biofilm Other. biofilm metagenome

Increased atmospheric CO2 is driving ocean acidification (OA), and potential shifts in marine ecosystems. Research shows both planktonic and benthic communities are affected, but how these changes are linked remains unresolved. Here we show that decreasing ocean pH leads to reduced biofilm formation and primary producer biomass within biofilms. These changes occurred concurrently with a re-arrangement of both microbial and invertebrate communities associated with the biofilms. Changes suggest a potential shift from autotrophic to heterotrophic dominated biofilms in response to acidification. Further, biofilms reared under different pH resulted in variable larval settlement for a model species Galeolaria hystrix. These findings show that there is a potential cascade of impacts arising from OA that could lead to regime shifts under future climate scenarios.