Ocean Acidification Impacts on Phytoplankton in the St. Lawrence Estuary

A 14-day laboratory experiment from summer 2024 investigated phytoplankton responses to ocean acidification in the St. Lawrence Estuary and Gulf. The dataset includes inorganic carbon state variables, nutrient concentrations, fatty acid measurements, and gene expression analysis data. It was collected by Fisheries and Oceans Canada following established best practice guidelines.

Use Cases

• Model the relationship between pH gradient and chlorophyll-a concentration to identify critical thresholds for phytoplankton productivity.
• Analyze correlations between dissolved inorganic carbon, total alkalinity, and essential fatty acid levels to assess nutritional quality impacts.
• Use gene expression analysis data to identify transcriptomic markers associated with pH stress and community structure shifts.
• Examine bacterial abundance data alongside nutrient concentrations to study microbial loop dynamics under acidified conditions.

Strengths

• Data collection followed the Guide to Best Practices for Ocean CO2 Measurements and detailed Standard Operating Procedures.
• Quality Control included instrument calibration, use of standard reference materials, blank runs, and replicated analyses.
• The experiment combined controlled mesocosm conditions with metatranscriptomics for a multi-faceted investigation.

Limitations

• Data is from a single 14-day laboratory experiment, limiting temporal and environmental generalizability.
• The geographic scope is restricted to the St. Lawrence Estuary and Gulf, which may not represent other marine ecosystems.
• Sample size and data volume (rows, columns) are unspecified, making it difficult to assess statistical power.

Provenance

Source

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Collection Method

Controlled laboratory mesocosm experiment with a natural phytoplankton population exposed to a pH gradient, combined with metatranscriptomic analysis.

Time Range

Summer 2024 (14-day experiment).

Freshness

Data from a summer 2024 experiment, last updated in March 2026.

Geography

St. Lawrence Estuary and Gulf, Canada.