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Assessing photosynthetic uptake of total inorganic carbon in an Ecklonia cava dominated seaweed artificial reef: Population- and community-level metabolisms

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Abstract

With increasing climate crisis concerns, interest in primary production of marine ecosystems is also increasing. Recently, artificial transplantation of canopy-forming seaweed has been carried out to increase coastal productivity, but the contribution of this strategy to inorganic carbon uptake has not been evaluated. Here, we estimated photosynthetic uptake of total inorganic carbon (TIC) by measuring the population and community productivity of artificial reefs (ARs) implanted with seaweed (dominated by Ecklonia cava) to determine TIC uptake efficiency of the transplanted seaweed and ecosystem respiration. The community-level of TIC uptake rate in the ARs ecosystem was measured using a 24-h tent incubation method in July and October 2021 in the East Sea of Korea. From these experiments, GCP and NCP (gross and net community production, respectively) ranged from 0.81–4.84 g C m−2 day−1 and from -2.08–1.91 g C m−2 day−1, respectively. We also measured photosynthesis-irradiance curves of E. cava (population level) to estimate individual inorganic carbon uptake rate in October 2021. GPP and NPP (gross and net primary productivity) were 132.47 and 6.83 mg C ind.−1 day−1, respectively. Based on these results, we estimated TIC uptake rates via photosynthesis of ARs seaweed beds at a community level. About 95% of GCP was allocated for E. cava respiration, but seaweed-associated respiration at different trophic levels (i.e., microbial and meiofauna/macrofauna respiration) was allocated an additional 20%, creating a net heterotrophic environment. Together, productivity differences at the population and community levels are key in explaining seaweed contribution to TIC uptake and respiration at the community level.

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Data availability

The data in this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

We thank all participating divers including WK, JKL, WHJ, JSJ, and JHP for their remarkable efforts collecting the field data for this project.

Funding

This research was supported by the following research grants: Korea Fisheries Resources Agency (FIRA). The study was also partially funded by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Korean government (MIST) (NRF-2021R1A2C4002298 to J-HK and NRF-2022R1C1C2008739 to EJK), and the project titled “Techniques development for management and evaluation of biofouling on ship hulls” (No. 20210651) to J-HK through the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, Korea (MOF).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Aquaculture and Aquatic Science, Kunsan National University, Gunsan, 54150, South Korea

    Ju-Hyoung Kim, Eun Ju Kang, Hanbi Moon, Huiru Li & Hyung Woo Lee

  2. Korea Marine Environment & Ecology Research Institute, Bucheon, 14557, South Korea

    Cheol-Woo Kwak

  3. Ocean Climate & Ecology Research Division, National Institute of Fisheries Science, Busan, 46083, Republic of Korea

    Changsin Kim

  4. East Sea Research Institute, Korea Institute of Ocean Science & Technology, Uljin, 36315, South Korea

    Hanbi Moon & Haryun Kim

  5. Key Laboratory of Mariculture (Ministry of Education), Fisheries College, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China

    Huiru Li

  6. Department of Marine Science, Incheon National University, Incheon, 22012, South Korea

    Il-Nam Kim

  7. Division of Environmental Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science & Technology, Pohang, 37673, South Korea

    Miok Kim

  8. Blue Carbon Implementation Branch Division, West Sea Branch, Korea Fisheries Resources Agency, Gunsan, 54021, South Korea

    YoungKweon Lee

  9. Planning and Coordination Divisions, Business Administration and Planning Department, Korea Fisheries Resources Agency, Busan, 46041, South Korea

    Ji Woong Jin

  10. Blue Carbon Implementation Division, Fisheries Resources Management Department, Korea Fisheries Resources Agency, Busan, 46041, South Korea

    Ji Chul Oh & Jin Woo Kang

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  1. Ju-Hyoung Kim
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Contributions

J-HK analyzed data and wrote the draft manuscript. C-WK conducted the field experiment and sample collection, EJK, CK, HM, HL, HWL, HK, I-NK, MK, YKL, JWJ, JCO, and JWK designed the field experiment, sample collection and analysis, data discussion. J-HK supervised the project and reviewed the draft manuscript. All authors reviewed and approved the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Ju-Hyoung Kim.

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Kim, JH., Kwak, CW., Kang, E.J. et al. Assessing photosynthetic uptake of total inorganic carbon in an Ecklonia cava dominated seaweed artificial reef: Population- and community-level metabolisms. J Appl Phycol 36, 969–981 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-023-03118-5

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