Natural acidified marine systems: Lessons and predictions

Area of Science:

• Marine Biology
• Oceanography
• Ecology

Background:

• Natural acidified systems (ASs) exhibit low pH due to geological and biological factors.
• These environments serve as natural laboratories for studying long-term ecological and evolutionary responses to ocean acidification (OA).
• Understanding ASs is vital for predicting the impacts of anthropogenic OA on marine ecosystems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the ecological and evolutionary responses in natural acidified marine systems.
• To identify common patterns and impacts of ocean acidification across different ASs globally.
• To inform future research and conservation strategies for vulnerable marine environments.

Main Methods:

• Comparative analysis of scientific research from 23 natural acidified systems worldwide.
• Observation of ecological and biological responses under naturally low pH conditions.
• Assessment of species' functional roles and the prevalence of calcareous organisms.

Main Results:

• Significant parallelisms observed in research results across global ASs.
• Disappearance of calcareous organisms and loss of ecologically vital species under OA conditions.
• Identification of key ecological functions affected by reduced pH.

Conclusions:

• Natural acidified systems provide critical data on ocean acidification impacts.
• Continuous international collaboration and open data access are essential for future research.
• Preservation of ASs as heritage sites using non-destructive methods is imperative.