The effects of seawater temperature on the physiological performance of three Halimeda species were studied for a period of 28 d. Five treatments were established for Halimeda cylindracea, Halimeda opuntia and Halimeda lacunalis, in triplicate aquaria representing a factorial temperature with 24°C, 28°C, 32°C, 34°C and 36°C, respectively. The average F_v/F_m of these species ranged from 0.732 to 0.756 between 24°C and 32°C but declined sharply between 34°C (0.457±0.035) and 36°C (0.122±0.014). Calcification was highest at 28°C, with net calcification rates (G_net) of (20.082±2.482) mg/(g·d), (12.825±1.623) mg/(g·d) and (6.411±1.029) mg/(g·d) for H. cylindracea, H. opuntia and H. lacunalis, respectively. Between 24°C and 32°C, the specific growth rate (SGR) of H. lacunalis (0.079%–0.110% d^–1) was lower than that of H. cylindracea (0.652%–1.644% d^–1) and H. opuntia (0.360%–1.527% d^–1). Three Halimeda species gradually bleached at 36°C during the study period. Malondialdehyde (MDA) and proline levels in tissues of the three Halimeda were higher in 34–36°C than those in 24–32°C. The results indicate that seawater temperature with range of 24–32°C could benefit the growth and calcification of these Halimeda species, however, extreme temperatures above 34°C have negative impacts. The measured physiological parameters also revealed that H. cylindracea and H. opuntia displayed broader temperature tolerance than H. lacunalis.

Due to the elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide, ocean acidification (OA) has recently emerged as a research theme in marine biology due to an expected deleterious effect of altered seawater chemistry on calcification. A system simulating future OA scenario is crucial for OA-related studies. Here, we designed an OA-simulated system (OASys) with three solenoid-controlled CO₂ gas channels. The OASys can adjust the pH of the seawater by bubbling CO₂ gas into seawaters via feedback systems. The OASys is very simple in structure with an integrated design and is new-user friendly with the instruction. Moreover, the OASys can monitor and record real-time pH values and can maintain pH levels within 0.02 pH unit. In a 15-d experiment, the OASys was applied to simulate OA in which the expected target pH values were 8.00, 7.80 and 7.60 to study the calcifying response of Galaxea fascicularis. The results showed daily mean seawater pH values held at pH 8.00±0.01, 7.80±0.01 and 7.61±0.01 over 15 d. Correspondingly, the coral calcification of G. fascicularis gradually decreased with reduced pH.

Marginal scleractinian corals growing at their latitudinal limits should be quite sensitive to variations in winter sea surface temperatures (SSTs). An extreme cold event occurring in early 2008 offered a unique opportunity to examine the effect of cold-water anomalies on Porites lutea corals and their physiological tolerance and acclimation in the subtropical northern South China Sea (NSCS). Besides in-situ observation, a subsequent aquarium-based experiment was designed for reproducing the chilling process and a 50-year-long Sr/Ca ratio profile from two P. lutea skeletal slabs was analyzed for reconstructed the historical annual minimum SSTs which ceased Porites calcification. The 2008 low-temperature anomaly caused the minimum daily mean SSTs dropped below 13℃ in the Daya Bay. The stress symptoms displayed by local P. lutea colonies included polyp retraction, reduced coloration and pale, but none showed tissue sloughing. The ability of P. lutea to survive implied its tolerance of extreme low temperatures. Here we suggest a model on the tolerance of high-latitude Porites under low-temperature stresses, which is when SSTs drop below 18℃, Porites corals contract their tentacles (losing heterotrophic capability), then cease calcification (reducing energy consumption), and meanwhile maintain relatively high levels of zooxanthellae density (sustaining host's life via photosynthetic capacity of symbiotic zooxanthellae). This study revealed remarkable acclimatization of P. lutea corals to low temperature extremes. This acclimatization is beneficial for Porites corals in the NSCS to expand their living ranges towards the higher-latitude areas and have the potential to be the incipient reef former.

Although the adverse impacts of ocean acidification (OA) on marine calcifiers have been investigated extensively, the anti-stress capabilities regulated by increased light availability are unclear. Herein, the interactive effects of three light levels (30 μmol photons/(m²·s), 150 μmol photons/(m²·s), and 240 μmol photons/(m²·s) combined with two pCO₂ concentrations (400 ppmv and 1400 ppmv) on the physiological acclimation of the calcifying macroalga Halimeda opuntia were investigated using a pCO₂-light coupling experiment. The OA negatively influenced algal growth, calcification, photosynthesis, and other physiological performances in H. opuntia. The relative growth rate under elevated pCO₂ conditions significantly declined by 13.14%−41.29%, whereas net calcification rates decreased by nearly three-fold under OA conditions. Notably, increased light availability enhanced stress resistance through the accumulation of soluble organic molecules, especially soluble carbohydrate, soluble protein, and free amino acids, and in combination with metabolic enzyme-driven activities, OA stress was alleviated. The carotenoid content under low light conditions increased markedly, and the rapid light curve of the relative electron transport rate was enhanced significantly by increasing light intensities, indicating that this new organization of the photosynthetic machinery in H. opuntia accommodated light variations and elevated pCO₂ conditions. Thus, the enhanced metabolic performance of the calcifying macroalga H. opuntia mitigated OA-related stress.

Pulleniatina obliquiloculata shells from 16 core-top samples from the tropical Indo-Pacific Oceans are analyzed for the ratios of boron and cadmium to calcium (B/Ca and Cd/Ca). The B/Ca ratios show a very weak positive relationship with[B(OH)₄^-] and the dissolved carbonate species at the apparent calcification depth of P. obliquiloculata. The boron partition coefficients (K_D) between P. obliquiloculata B/Ca and seawater[B(OH)₄^-]/[HCO₃^-] distribute around 1.1×10^-3-1.3×10^-3 with a mean value of (1.19±0.12)×10^-3, and are significantly related to the nutrient concentration, especially phosphate. The lack of any clear correlation between the P. obliquiloculata B/Ca and seawater carbonate chemical parameters suggests that the physiochemical controls on boron incorporation are masked by the complexity of natural seawater condition. But the significant dependence of K_D on nutrient may likely be explained by a nutrient related growth-rate effect. Cd/Ca of P. obliquiloculata shows significant correlation with seawater phosphate concentration, and its partition coefficients (D_Cd) are significantly related to temperature. A first-principle methodology of P. obliquiloculata B/Ca is applied, with the aid of Cd/Ca as a phosphate proxy and a constraint on K_D, to estimating sea water carbonate chemistry (e.g., pH). The results are fairly promising and allow us to propose the possibility to apply the combination of B/Ca and Cd/Ca proxies (and also Mg/Ca and δ¹⁸O for estimating temperature and salinity) for the paleo-reconstruction of seawater carbonate chemistry.

Coralline algae (CA), a type of primary calcifying producer presented in coastal ecosystems, are considered one of the highly sensitive organisms to marine environmental change. However, experimental studies on coralline algae responses to elevated seawater temperature and reduced pH have documented either contradictory or opposite results. In this study, we analysed the growth and physiological responses of coralline algae Porolithon onkodes to the elevated temperature (30.8°C) and reduced pH (7.8). The aim of this analysis was to observe the direct and combined effects, while elucidating the growth and photosynthesis in this response. It was demonstrated that the algae thallus growth rate and photosynthesis under elevated temperature were depressed by 21.5% and 14.9% respectively. High pCO₂ enhanced the growth and photosynthesis of the thallus at ambient temperature, while they were deceased when both temperature and pCO₂ were elevated. CA is among the most sensitive organisms to ocean acidification (OA) because of their precipitate high Mg-calcite. We hypothesize that coralline algae could increase their calcification rate in order to counteract the effects of moderate acidification, but offset by the effect of elevated temperature. Accordingly, our results also support the conclusion that global warming (GW) is a stronger threat to algal performance than OA. Our findings are also proposed that coralline algae may be more resilient under OA than GW.

Horizontal and vertical distributions of δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C were investigated in shells of four planktonic foraminiferal species, Globigerinoides ruber, Globigerinoides sacculifer, Pulleniatina obliquiloculata and Neogloboquedrina dutertrei, from a total of 62 core-top sediment samples from the Indonesian throughflow region. Results were compared to modern hydrologic conditions in order to explore potential of proxies in reconstructing fluvial discharge and upper ocean water column characteristics in this region. Our results show that, in the Makassar Strait, both of depleted δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C of these four species were linked to freshwater input. In the Bali Sea, however, depleted δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C for these species may be due to different reasons. Depleted δ¹⁸O was a result of freshwater input and as well influenced by along-shore currents while depleted δ¹³C was more likely due to the Java-Sumatra upwelling. Comparison of shell δ¹⁸O records and hydrographic data of World Ocean Atlas 2005 suggests that G. ruber and G. sacculifer calcify within the mixed-layer, respectively at 0-50 m and 20-75 m water depth, and P. obliquiloculata and N. dutertrei within the upper thermocline, both at 75-125 m water depth. N. dutertrei calcifies at slightly deeper water depth than P. obliquiloculata does. In general, δ¹³C values of both G. ruber and G. sacculifer are larger than those of P. obliquiloculata and N. dutertrei at all sites, possibly related to depth habitats of these species and vertical distribution of nutrients in the Indonesian throughflow region.