Characteristic feature of ocean acidification in coastal area and its effect on microalgae

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24241010
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Environmental impact assessment/Environmental policy
• Research Institution: University of Tsukuba
• Principal Investigator: HAMA Takeo 筑波大学, 生命環境系, 教授 (30156385)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): SASANO Daisuke 気象庁気象研究所, 海洋・地球化学部, 研究員 (10462524) ; NAKAYAMA Takeshi 筑波大学, 生命環境系, 准教授 (40302369) ; WADA Shigeki 筑波大学, 生命環境系, 助教 (60512720) ; OMORI Yuko 筑波大学, 生命環境系, 助教 (80613497)
• Research Collaborator: ISHII Masao ; KOSUGI Naohiro ; INOUE Tomoki ; SUZUKI Risa ; KASHIWAZAKI Hiroto ; MATSUSHITA Wakana ; SUGA Yuri
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 海洋酸性化 / 炭酸系 / 沿岸域 / 微細藻類 / 炭素循環

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Various parameters concerning geochemical cycle of carbon such as carbonate system have been observed at coastal station off Shimoda, Shizuoka, Japan for 4 years. Partial pressure of carbon dioxide in the surface layer increased form Oct ot Mar, and decresed from Apr to Sep. Seasonal changes in concentration of organic carbon and photosynthetic production rate indicates that microbial metabolism including microalgae and vertical mixing of water masses are the most important factors causing the seasonal variation of pCO2. The magunitude of seasonal variation in the coastal water was revealed to be higher than those in open ocean by 2 to 3 times, due to high abundance of microbial biomass. Microalgal culture experiments revealed that Chrysochromulina sp. (Haptophyceae) is sensitive to the decrease in pH, indicating the growth of C. sp. will decrease in the acidified condition.

Free Research Field

生物地球化学