Hobart

Seminar Abstract

Thursday 24 September 2009, 11.30am (Tas time)
CSIRO Auditorium, Hobart

Slobodanka Stojkovic
OCE Postdoctoral Fellow
Monash University

The effects of ocean acidification on phytoplankton: an Australian perspective

One of the major factors of climate change that is expected to affect phytoplankton is elevated levels of CO2, which, in turn, is going to cause acidification of the ocean. This can affect ocean organisms in multiple ways. It is expected that some organisms in particular are going to be susceptible to ocean acidification. This includes calcifying organisms, among others phytoplankton species Emiliania huxleyi. Previous work has shown contradictory results in terms of calcification rates of this species under elevated CO2 levels. Riebesell et al (2000) showed that elevated CO2 is going to reduce calcification, while more recent work (Iglesias-Rodriguz et al, 2008) have shown completely opposite. Discussion that resulted from this has shown that experimental setup and the way acidification is established are important in explaining these contradictory results. All the published work, so far, has been done on E. huxleyi strains isolated from the northern hemisphere. We propose to focus on strains of E.huxleyi that are isolated from the southern-hemisphere, in particular Australian waters.

In my talk, I will 1) review how phytoplankton are affected by elevated CO2; 2) discuss why different strains of E. huxleyi may have different responses to elevated CO2; 3) present experimental plans for studying E. huxleyi.

Seminar recording

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Location:
CSIRO = Marine Laboratories Auditorium, Castray Esplanade, Hobart

For further information, or to schedule a seminar, contact:
To schedule a seminar, contact:
Clothilde Langlais, (Oceanographic seminars) CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research (03) 6232 5399
Natalie Kelly, (Biology/Modelling seminars) CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research 0438 452 483
Jillian Enraght-Moony, (seminar administrator) CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research (03) 6232 5320
Communications Manager, Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems CRC (03) 6226 2265
Margaret Hazelwood, Institute of Antarctic and Southern Ocean Studies (IASOS) University of Tasmania (03) 6226 2971

Last updated 8/12/09