Ocean acidification effects on Calanus
Much recent research on zooplankton evaluates the effects of climate warming and of progressing carbonic acidification in both oceans and lakes. Oar Feet and Opal Teeth ( OF&OT ) summarizes the results of studies of copepod responses to century-scale acidity change (about -0.02 pH units per decade since 1985) as “reasonably resistant.” The book provided no review of that research, and one won’t fit in an “OarFeet.com” essay. However, I was attracted by a 2023 paper by David Fields, Jeff Runge, and eight colleagues: "A positive temperature-dependent effect of elevated CO 2 on growth and lipid accumulation in the planktonic copepod Calanus finmarchicus. ” Limnology and Oceanography 68 : S87-S100. The title suggested that, for one copepod species at least, acidification could even be a good thing. For me the results also emphasize the accelerated patterns of copepod development and growth, a recurring source of interest for my career. ...