Life Sciences Commons^™

Ameliorating Ocean Acidification: A Model Relating Pco2, Irradiance And Leaf Area Index Of Zostera Marina (Eelgrass) In Padilla Bay, Wa, Tyler Tran

Graduate Student Symposium

In nearshore, soft-sediment habitats of the Salish Sea, eelgrass (Zostera marina L.) meadows have been identified as potential mitigators of ocean acidification (OA) because their photosynthetic activity can decrease pCO₂, increase pH and provide refuge for organisms sensitive to OA. The diurnal light cycle controls photosynthetic production of eelgrass and therefore, along with tidal cycles, exerts strong controls on variations in pCO₂ in nearshore environment. In this study, we investigate the carbon uptake rates for eelgrass under varying light, ambient pCO₂ conditions and eelgrass densities (leaf area index). The magnitude of changes …