Assessing the effect of hypoxia on organisms and communities using in situ incubation chambers. Yvonne Sawall

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1 Assessing the effect of hypoxia on organisms and communities using in situ incubation chambers Yvonne Sawall

2 My scientific background Marine benthic ecology Tropical coral reefs (SE Asia, Red Sea) Coral community dynamics over space and time (functional groups, coral recruitment) Coral ecophysiology: acclimatization / adaptation to changing temperature and nutrient conditions Temperate seagrass meadows (Baltic Sea) Seagrass ecophysiology: acclimatization to ocean warming Seagrass - epifouler interaction: diurnal ph and O 2 fluctuations, response to increasing temperature and pco 2 Mechanisms of organisms to respond to environmental changes as a consequence of acclimatization and/or adaptation Ø in situ incubation chambers for in situ experiments ( real data ) Ø Tissue analyses (proteins, lipids, photo-pigments, etc ) Ø Population genetics Ø Gene expression

3 How I got started Indonesia 2008 Photosynthesis Respiration Calcification (Total alkalinity changes)

4 Simple incubation chamber setup Indonesia & Thailand 2009 Coral performance along eutrophication gradient and under the impact of upwelling Sawall et al Galaxea, Sawall et al Coral Reefs

5 1st generation autonomous in situ incubation chambers Red Sea 2011 / 2012 Coral performance along temperature and nutrient gradient (summer & winter) Photosynthesis Respiration Calcification Mucus release Built by TLZ, GEOMAR Sawall et al Nature Scientific Reports, Wahl et al PLoS ONE Sawall et al PLoS ONE, Beisiegel 2012 (Master thesis, Univ. of Kiel)

6 1st generation autonomous in situ incubation chambers Tubing & water distributer Water flow when pump is on O2 sensor Water inlet with valve Stirrer inside chamber Light sensor (PAR LiCor) Water outlet with valve Data logger Programmable pump

7 Examples: Pocillopora verrucosa performance in the Red Sea P-I curve 1-MAQ 2-WAJ C Temperature 3-YAN 4-JED 5-DOG 6-FAR C Sawall et al Scientific Reports Sawall et al PLoS ONE

8 Examples: Pocillopora verrucosa performance in the Red Sea 1-MAQ 2-WAJ C Temperature 3-YAN 4-JED 5-DOG 6-FAR C Sawall et al Scientific Reports Sawall et al PLoS ONE

9 2 nd generation autonomous in situ incubation chambers Changes to allow a broader range of applications Ø Sensors and loggers suitable for deeper deployment: RBRmaestro multi-channel logger, 13 ports (analog), <2000 m depth OxyGuard Ocean D.O. Probe, <2000 m (analog port) Ø 6 instead of 4 chambers to increase number of replication Ø Automated water sampling for regular water sampling, e.g. over 24-h Ø Option to connect different chambers small chambers (< 1 L) for small and/or slow metabolizers (also microorganisms) Large chambers (3 or 6 L) for larger organisms Benthic chambers (3-10 L, one side open) for benthic communities of seagrass or algae meadows, reefs and sand plains

10 2 nd generation autonomous in situ incubation chambers Okamura et al. (2013) Development of a 128-channel multi-water-sampling system for underwater platforms and its application to chemical and biological monitoring. Methods in Oceanography 8:75 90

11 Examples of applications (general) Metabolic rate measurements (photosynthesis, respiration, calcification) Ø of individuals (algae, seagrass, sponges, bryozoans, anemones, sea stars, ) Ø or of communities (seagrass communities, microbial mats, sediment epifauna & infauna) Ø over 24-hours (and longer) Productivity of plankton communities Tracer experiments with nutrients by injecting isotopically labelled inorganic or organic nutrients into the chambers (feeding rates, biochemical C & N cycling, )

12 Examples of applications (specific) Effect of constant and periodically occurring oxygen deficiency on the anemone Metridium farcimen in 50 and 100 m depth (depth specific adaptation?) (metabolism, behavior [camera], morphology / tissue structure, microbial symbionts, population genetics, cross-transplantation) Mechanisms of adaptation of the anemone Synchalcurias sp. to constantly low oxygen condition (below 100 m depth) Effect of pollution, eutrophication and/ or siltation on seagrass productivity and nutrient uptake; comparative studies on different sites within Saanich Inlet