Delayed onset of ocean acidification in the Gulf of Maine.

The Gulf of Maine holds significant ecological and economic value for fisheries and communities in north-eastern North America. However, there is apprehension regarding its vulnerability to the effects of increasing atmospheric CO. Substantial recent warming and the inflow of low alkalinity waters into the Gulf of Maine have raised concerns about the impact of ocean acidification on resident marine calcifiers (e.

Evolutionary change during experimental ocean acidification.

Rising atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) conditions are driving unprecedented changes in seawater chemistry, resulting in reduced pH and carbonate ion concentrations in the Earth's oceans. This ocean acidification has negative but variable impacts on individual performance in many marine species. However, little is known about the adaptive capacity of species to respond to an acidified ocean, and, as a result, predictions regarding future ecosystem responses remain incomplete.

Extracellular matrix production and calcium carbonate precipitation by coral cells in vitro.

The evolution of multicellularity in animals required the production of extracellular matrices that serve to spatially organize cells according to function. In corals, three matrices are involved in spatial organization: (i) an organic ECM, which facilitates cell-cell and cell-substrate adhesion; (ii) a skeletal organic matrix (SOM), which facilitates controlled deposition of a calcium carbonate skeleton; and (iii) the calcium carbonate skeleton itself, which provides the structural support for the 3D organization of coral colonies. In this report, we examine the production of these three matrices by using an in vitro culturing system for coral cells.