Inorganic carbon acquisition of marine phytoplankton with emphasis on selected diatom species

Abstract

This study investigates the inorganic carbon (Ci) acquisition in marine phytoplankton with emphasis on selected diatom species and the role of calcification in the photosynthetic carbon acquisition of the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi. Observations from laboratory and field experiments delivered new insights into the efficiency and regulation of carbon concentrating mechanisms (CCM) in diatoms in response to varying seawater carbonate chemistry. The main motivation for the experiments was to examine the role of carbon acquisition in phytoplankton ecology and to assess the potential effects of elevated CO2 on marine diatoms.