While increased carbon dioxide levels theoretically boost the productivity of nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the world’s oceans, because of its “fertilizing” effect, a new study reveals how increasingly acidic seawater featuring higher levels of this gas can overwhelm these benefits, hampering the essential service these bacteria provide for marine life.
The new data help explain disparities in previous studies exploring the effects of ocean acidification on nitrogen fixation. The abundant cyanobacteria Trichodesmium is estimated to contribute up to 50% of marine nitrogen fixation; therefore, understanding how this species will respond to a changing environment is critical.
Researchers found that increasingly acidic water negatively impacted the bacterium’s ability to fix nitrogen.
— source sciencedaily.com