Response of Florida Shelf Ecosystems to Climate Change: USGS Research

1. 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

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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 pCO2 Think Tank #5 Strategic Planning Session for Ocean Acidification Research Little Cayman Research Center Dec 3-7, 2007

6. Ocean Acidification Task 1 • Document latitudinal gradients of carbonate sediment producers/forams on Florida shelf- relate to responses to OA • Initiate regional pCO2 & 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 pCO2 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

7. 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

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

9. 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

10. 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 habitatsRobbins, 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 (http://coastal.er.usgs.gov/flash) Think Tank #5 Strategic Planning Session for Ocean Acidification Research Little Cayman Research Center Dec 3-7, 2007

11. 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 pCO2, tCO2, 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

12. 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

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