On Oct. 27, 2015, Research group led by Prof. Gao Kunshan of College of Ocean and Earth Sciences published a paper on Nature Communications, which demonstrates that ocean acidification increases by 46 to 212% the production of phenolic compounds in phytoplankton and its effects on food chain.

　　Increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations are causing ocean acidification (OA), altering carbonate chemistry with consequences for marine organisms. Here we show that OA increases by 46 to 212% the production of phenolic compounds in phytoplankton grown under the elevated CO2 concentrations projected for the end of this century, compared to the ambient CO2 level. At the same time, mitochondrial respiration rate is enhanced at the elevated CO2 by 130-160% in a single species or mixed phytoplankton assemblage. When fed with phytoplankton cells grown under OA, zooplankton assemblages have significantly higher contents of phenolic compounds, by about 28-48%. The functional consequences of the increased accumulation of toxic phenolic compounds in primary and secondary producers have the potential to have profound consequences for marine ecosystem and seafood quality, with a possibility that fisheries industries could be influenced as a result of progressive ocean changes. 　

 Link to full text:

http://www.nature.com/ncomms/2015/151027/ncomms9714/full/ncomms9714.html#affil-auth