Ocean acidification is expected to decrease calcification rates of bivalves. Nevertheless, in many coastal areas high pCO2 variability is encountered already today. Kiel Fjord (Western Baltic Sea) is a brackish (12-20 g kg(-1) ) and CO2 enriched habitat, but the blue mussel Mytilus edulis dominates the benthic community. In a coupled field and laboratory study we examined the annual pCO2 variab...

Although macrobenthic assemblages are considered as major players in many ecosystems around the world, the ecology of Caspian Sea macrobenthos is currently understudied. This study describes the species composition and quantitative distribution of macrobenthos in the southern Caspian Sea and relates the distribution to seasonal changes at three depths (1, 5 and 10 meters) on the Boojagh Marine ...

Increasing atmospheric CO2 decreases seawater pH in a phenomenon known as ocean acidification. In two separate experiments we found that larval development of the barnacle Amphibalanus (Balanus) improvisuswas not significantly affected by the level of reduced pH that has been projected for the next 150 years. After 3 and 6 days of incubation, we found no consistent effects of reduced pHondevelo...

Experiments performed in the field and in the laboratory show that the barnacle, Balanus improvisus, preferentially settles on smooth surfaces. Settlement and recruitment of B. improvisus was evaluated on micro-textured surfaces with scales of surface texture ranging from 1 to 100 µm in profile heights. Surface texture with profile heights within a topographic range of 30-45 µm reduced settleme...

The fate of key species, such as the barnacle Amphibalanus improvisus, in the course of global change is of particular interest since any change in their abundance and/or performance may entail community-wide eVects. In the Xuctuating Western Baltic, species typically experience a broad range of environmental conditions, which may preselect them to better cope with climate change. In this study...