Effect of ocean acidification on Antarctic marine organisms: a meta-analysis

A meta-analysis was undertaken to examine the vulnerability of Antarctic marine biota occupying waters south of 60 degrees S to ocean acidification. Comprehensive database searches were conducted to compile all English language, peer-reviewed journals articles and literature reviews that investigated the effect of altered seawater carbonate chemistry on Southern Ocean and/or Antarctic marine organisms. A document detailing the methods used to collect these data is included in the download file.Context from the public summary for project 4026:Manmade CO2 has increased ocean acidity by 30% and it is projected to rise 300% by 2100. Antarctic waters will be amongst the earliest and most severely affected by this increase. Microbes are the base of the marine food chain and primary drivers of the biological pump. This project will incubate natural communities of Antarctic marine microbes in minicosms at a range of CO2 concentrations to quantify changes in their structure and function, the physiological responses that drive these changes, and provide input to models that predict effects on biogeochemical cycles and Antarctic food webs.