Impacts of increased atmospheric CO2 concentration on photosynthesis and growth of micro- and macro-algae

Marine photosynthesis drives the oceanic biological CO(2) pump to absorb CO(2) from the atmosphere, which sinks more than one third of the industry-originated CO(2) into the ocean. The increasing atmospheric CO(2) and subsequent rise of pCO(2) in seawater, which alters the carbonate system and related chemical reactions and results in lower pH and higher HCO(3) (-) concentration, affect photosynthetic CO(2) fixation processes of phytoplanktonic and macroalgal species in direct and/or indirect ways. Although many unicellular and multicellular species can operate CO(2)-concentrating mechanisms (CCMs) to utilize the large HCO(3) (-) pool in seawater, enriched CO(2) up to several times the present atmospheric level has been shown to enhance photosynthesis and growth of both phytoplanktonic and macro-species that have less capacity of CCMs. Even for species that operate active CCMs and those whose photosynthesis is not limited by CO(2) in seawater, increased CO(2) levels can down-regulate their CCMs and therefore enhance their growth under light-limiting conditions (at higher CO(2) levels, less light energy is required to drive CCM). Altered physiological performances under high-CO(2) conditions may cause genetic alteration in view of adaptation over long time scale. Marine algae may adapt to a high CO(2) oceanic environment so that the evolved communities in future are likely to be genetically different from the contemporary communities. However, most of the previous studies have been carried out under indoor conditions without considering the acidifying effects on seawater by increased CO(2) and other interacting environmental factors, and little has been documented so far to explain how physiology of marine primary producers performs in a high-CO(2) and low-pH ocean.