Southern Ocean Calcifier Vulnerability to Acidification: A Meta-Analysis

A 2021 meta-analysis and review by Figuerola et al. synthesizes studies on the impacts of ocean acidification on marine calcifiers in the Southern Ocean. The work projects a ~0.3 pH decline by 2100 and assesses vulnerability based on skeletal mineralogy, geographic range, and biological traits. It was published in Frontiers in Marine Science and is hosted by the Australian Ocean Data Network.

Use Cases

• Modeling species-specific vulnerability to acidification based on skeletal mineralogy (e.g., aragonite vs. calcite) mentioned in the description.
• Projecting future ecosystem changes in the Southern Ocean based on biological trait and geographic range data.
• Analyzing the interaction between ocean warming and acidification effects on calcifying organisms.
• Identifying research gaps for taxa resilient to carbonate chemistry alterations, such as low-Mg calcite species.

Strengths

• Based on a peer-reviewed meta-analysis published in Frontiers in Marine Science in 2021.
• Integrates multiple biological response variables such as shell state, development, and growth rate.
• Considers multiple factors for projections: species' geographic range, skeletal mineralogy, biological traits, and potential adaptation strategies.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to data_gov_au and the focus on the Southern Ocean.

Provenance

Source

Figuerola B, Hancock AM, Bax N, Cummings VJ, Downey R, Griffiths HJ, Smith J and Stark JS (2021). Frontiers in Marine Science.

Collection Method

Combined review and quantitative meta-analysis of existing studies.

Time Range

Studies up to 2021, with projections to 2100.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-28 12:17:30.838390; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Southern Ocean.