Unravelling Marine Benthic Functioning Shifts Under Ocean Acidification

Ocean acidification (OA) driven by increasing atmospheric CO₂ is altering marine biodiversity. However, impacts of OA on ecosystem functioning at the community level, including calcification, primary production and nutrient uptake, remain largely unknown. Here, we conducted community transplant experiments at natural CO₂ vents to assess how declining pH affects marine community species composition, biomass, and key ecosystem processes over time. Our results indicate that community shifts caused by declining pH lead to decreased biomass and calcification rates, while photosynthesis and nutrient uptake rates increased. By leveraging OA field model systems and in situ measurements of ecosystem functioning, this study provides critical insights into how OA-induced biodiversity loss reshapes the structure and functioning of temperate marine coastal ecosystems.