Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Partner Preference In The Intertidal: Possible Benefits Of Ocean Acidification To Sea Anemone-Algal Symbiosis, Natalie Coleman

WWU Graduate School Collection

Ocean acidification (OA) threatens many marine species and is projected to become more severe over the next 50 years. Areas of the Salish Sea and Puget Sound that experience seasonal upwelling of low pH water are particularly susceptible to even lower pH conditions. While ocean acidification literature often describes negative impacts to calcifying organisms, including economically important shellfish, and zooplankton, not all marine species appear to be threatened by OA. Photosynthesizing organisms, in particular, may benefit from increased levels of CO₂.

The aggregating anemone (Anthopleura elegantissima), a common intertidal organism throughout the northeast Pacific, hosts two …