Biogeosciences www.biogeosciences.net 1726-4170 1726-4189 7 1 2010 10.5194/bg-7-177-2010 http://www.biogeosciences.net/7/177/2010/ http://www.biogeosciences.net/7/177/2010/bg-7-177-2010.html http://www.biogeosciences.net/7/177/2010/bg-7-177-2010.pdf 177 186 2010-01-13 Short-term response of the coccolithophore <i>Emiliania huxleyi</i> to an abrupt change in seawater carbon dioxide concentrations J. Barcelos e Ramos jramos@ifm-geomar.de M. N. Müller U. Riebesell Leibniz Institute of Marine Sciences, IFM-GEOMAR Düsternbrooker Weg 20, 24105 Kiel, Germany The response of the coccolithophore <i>Emiliania huxleyi</i> to rising CO₂ concentrations is well documented for acclimated cultures where cells are exposed to the CO₂ treatments for several generations prior to the experiment. The exact number of generations required for acclimation to CO₂-induced changes in seawater carbonate chemistry, however, is unknown. Here we show that <i>Emiliania huxleyi</i>'s short-term response (26 h) after cultures (grown at 500 &mu;atm) were abruptly exposed to changed CO₂ concentrations (~190, 410, 800 and 1500 &mu;atm) is similar to that obtained with acclimated cultures under comparable conditions in earlier studies. Most importantly, from the lower CO₂ levels (190 and 410 &mu;atm) to 750 and 1500 &mu;atm calcification decreased and organic carbon fixation increased within the first 8 to 14 h after exposing the cultures to changes in carbonate chemistry. This suggests that <i>Emiliania huxleyi</i> rapidly alters the rates of essential metabolical processes in response to changes in seawater carbonate chemistry, establishing a new physiological "state" (acclimation) within a matter of hours. 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