Think Tank #5 Strategic Planning Session for Ocean Acidification Research Little Cayman Research Center Dec 3-7, 2007 Response of Florida Shelf Ecosystems to Climate Change: USGS Research

Think Tank #5 Strategic Planning Session for Ocean Acidification Research Little Cayman Research Center Dec 3-7, 2007 Overarching Questions What are the implications of climate change on shelf habitat ? What is the overall sustainability of certain critical carbonate ecosystems under changing environmental conditions?

Think Tank #5 Strategic Planning Session for Ocean Acidification Research Little Cayman Research Center Dec 3-7, 2007 Project Outline Task 1: Ocean Acidification & Shelf Habitat –1.1 Field study –1.2 Laboratory study Task 2: Mapping, data acquisition, and data integration –2.1 Characterization and mapping of the FL shelf using existing data –2.2 Establishing the links between geology, water chemistry and biologic communities- field acquisition –2.3 Integration of data: linking past and present

Think Tank #5 Strategic Planning Session for Ocean Acidification Research Little Cayman Research Center Dec 3-7, 2007 Status Not completely funded Field portion cut back dramatically- one cruise Compilation & mapping of existing data New climate change proposal submitted to USGS to address AO field component: Notification will be received end of December

Think Tank #5 Strategic Planning Session for Ocean Acidification Research Little Cayman Research Center Dec 3-7, 2007 Hypotheses- Task 1 Calcareous species will undergo shifts in latitudinal distribution and depth ranges as carbonate chemistry of seawater changes Forams and calcifying algae will have a physiological response to increased pCO 2

Think Tank #5 Strategic Planning Session for Ocean Acidification Research Little Cayman Research Center Dec 3-7, 2007 Ocean Acidification Task 1 Document latitudinal gradients of carbonate sediment producers/forams on Florida shelf- relate to responses to OA Initiate regional pCO 2 & carbonate saturation map for shelf to link to specific habitats Characterize how generations of important sediment producing species of benthic foraminifera and calcifying algae respond to changing pCO 2 levels Identify critical thresholds and impacts for sediment producing communities

Think Tank #5 Strategic Planning Session for Ocean Acidification Research Little Cayman Research Center Dec 3-7, 2007 Subtask 1.1 Calcareous species will undergo shifts in latitudinal distribution and depth ranges as carbonate chemistry of seawater changes –Heterozoan vs Photozoan –Use usSeabed data, cooperators pCO2, sat. state data, field data

Think Tank #5 Strategic Planning Session for Ocean Acidification Research Little Cayman Research Center Dec 3-7, 2007 Sediment data

Think Tank #5 Strategic Planning Session for Ocean Acidification Research Little Cayman Research Center Dec 3-7, 2007 Subtask 1.2 Calcareous organisms will have a biogeochemical/ physiological response to environmental change - Calcareous tests, plates will record carbon chemistry of sw (proxy) - pCO2/temp/ - 40 years of cooperators data

Think Tank #5 Strategic Planning Session for Ocean Acidification Research Little Cayman Research Center Dec 3-7, 2007 Proposed Research Task: Monitoring and modeling of Florida Shelf carbonate saturation state and calcification rates: setting a baseline for response of ocean acidification on marine habitats Robbins, Kuffner, Byrne, Eakin, and Gledhill USGS Global Change internal proposal Working with State cooperators, USF, NOAA Develop saturation state maps for inner shelf and coast Coral calcification studies Goal: Linking data to sediment & habitat maps developed (

Think Tank #5 Strategic Planning Session for Ocean Acidification Research Little Cayman Research Center Dec 3-7, 2007 Shelf Carbonate Saturation State SEAS II and MICA (Multiparameter Inorganic Carbon Analyzer) developed by Dr. Robert Byrne, SRI,USF COT Map variations in ocean chemistry including carbonate saturation states along designated tracks – Flow-thru instrumentations measuring pCO 2, tCO 2, and pH - alkalinity also collected at discrete site Link these data with GOMECC data Work with NOAA to develop saturation state maps for west Florida shelf- begin to extend saturation state data from Caribbean into the GOM Link data to habitat data

Think Tank #5 Strategic Planning Session for Ocean Acidification Research Little Cayman Research Center Dec 3-7, 2007 Proposed Cruise tracks and station sampling 5 cruise tracks –Focus on shallow water –Using ships of opportunity –USGS, FWRI, FIO, IGFA: commercial fishermen 4 sites in Florida Keys for Coral experiments - First reef - Fowey Rocks - Sombrero Reef - Pulaski Shoals

Think Tank #5 Strategic Planning Session for Ocean Acidification Research Little Cayman Research Center Dec 3-7, 2007 Coral and coralline algae study Diploria labyrinthiformis and Acropora cervicornis Mounted on stainless steel plates and cinderblocks Coral calcification rates will be measured seasonally by “buoyant weight” methods. Linear extension of corals will be measured by alizarin- red staining and periodically micro-cored Accretion rates by crustose coralline algal communities will be measured by deploying settlement tiles at the same sites where coral growth will be monitored and weighing them quarterly Carbonate chemistry of water analyzed to and from field site