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The Journal of Experimental Biology 206, 641-650 (2003)
doi: 10.1242/jeb.00141

Commentary

Biological impacts of deep-sea carbon dioxide injection inferred from indices of physiological performance

Brad A. Seibel^1,* and Patrick J. Walsh²

¹ Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, 7700 Sandholdt Road, Moss Landing, CA 95039, USA
² Marine Biology and Fisheries, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Marine and Freshwater Biomedical Science Center, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33149, USA

^* Author for correspondence (e-mail: bseibel{at}mbari.org)

Accepted 12 November 2002

A recent proposal to store anthropogenic carbon dioxide in the deep ocean is assessed here with regard to the impacts on deep-living fauna. The stability of the deep-sea has allowed the evolution of species ill-equipped to withstand rapid environmental changes. Low metabolic rates of most deep-sea species are correlated with low capacities for pH buffering and low concentrations of ion-transport proteins. Changes in seawater carbon dioxide partial pressure (P_CO2) may thus lead to large cellular P_CO2 and pH changes. Oxygen transport proteins of deep-sea animals are also highly sensitive to changes in pH. Acidosis leads to metabolic suppression, reduced protein synthesis, respiratory stress, reduced metabolic scope and, ultimately, death. Deep-sea CO₂ injection as a means of controlling atmospheric CO₂ levels should be assessed with careful consideration of potential biological impacts. In order to properly evaluate the risks within a relevant timeframe, a much more aggressive approach to research is warranted.

Key words: carbon dioxide, global warming, deep sea, hypercapnia, acid—base balance, sequestration, cephalopoda, metabolism

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