Seawater carbonate chemistry, shell linear extension and calcification during calcein staining and 45Ca experiments with pteropod Limacina helicina, 2009

Since they harbor an aragonitic shell, they could be very sensitive to ocean acidification driven by the increase of anthropogenic CO2 emissions. The impact of changes in the carbonate chemistry was investigated on Limacina helicina, a key species of Arctic ecosystems.

Pteropods were kept in culture under controlled pH conditions corresponding to pCO2 levels of 350 and 760 ?atm. Calcification was estimated using a fluorochrome and the radioisotope 45Ca. It exhibits a 28 % decrease at the pH value expected for 2100 compared to the present pH value.