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https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1957
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1957
12 Aug 2024
 | 12 Aug 2024

Magnesium (Mg/Ca, δ26Mg), boron (B/Ca, δ11B), and calcium ([Ca2+]) geochemistry of Arctica islandica and Crassostrea virginica extrapallial fluid and shell under ocean acidification

Blanca Alvarez Caraveo, Maxence Guillermic, Alan Downey-Wall, Louise P. Cameron, Jill N. Sutton, John A. Higgins, Justin B. Ries, Katie Lotterhos, and Robert A. Eagle

Abstract. The geochemistry of biogenic carbonates has long been used as proxies to record changing seawater parameters. However, the effect of ocean acidification on seawater chemistry and organism physiology could impact isotopic signatures and how elements are incorporated into the shell. In this study, we investigated the geochemistry of three reservoirs important for biomineralization – seawater, the extrapallial fluid (EPF), and the shell – in two bivalve species, Crassostrea virginica and Arctica islandica. Additionally, we examined the effects of three ocean acidification conditions (ambient: 500 ppm CO2, moderate: 900 ppm CO2, and high: 2800 ppm CO2) on the geochemistry of the same three reservoirs for C. virginica. We present data on calcification rates, EPF pH, measured elemental ratios (Mg/Ca, B/Ca), and isotopic signatures (δ26Mg, δ11B). In both species, comparisons of seawater and EPF Mg/Ca and B/Ca, [Ca2+], and δ26Mg indicate that the EPF has a distinct composition that differs from seawater. Shell δ11B did not faithfully record seawater pH and δ11B-calculated pH values were consistently higher than pH measurements of the EPF with microelectrodes, indicating that the shell δ11B may reflect a localized environment within the entire EPF reservoir. In C. virginica, EPF Mg/Ca and B/Ca, as well as absolute concentrations of Mg, B, and [Ca2+], were all significantly affected by ocean acidification, indicating that OA affects the physiological pathways regulating or storing these ions, an observation that complicates their use as proxies. Reduction in EPF [Ca2+] may represent an additional mechanism underlying reduction in calcification in C. virginica in response to seawater acidification. The complexity of dynamics of EPF chemistry suggest boron proxies in these two mollusc species are not straightforwardly related to seawater pH, but ocean acidification does lead to both a decrease in microelectrode pH and boron-isotope-based pH, potentially showing applicability of boron isotopes in recording physiological changes. Collectively, our findings show that bivalves have high physiological control over the internal calcifying fluid, which presents a challenge to using boron isotopes for reconstructing seawater pH.

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Journal article(s) based on this preprint

19 Jun 2025
Magnesium (Mg∕Ca, δ26Mg), boron (B∕Ca, δ11B), and calcium (Ca2+) geochemistry of Arctica islandica and Crassostrea virginica extrapallial fluid and shell under ocean acidification
Blanca Alvarez Caraveo, Maxence Guillermic, Alan Downey-Wall, Louise P. Cameron, Jill N. Sutton, John A. Higgins, Justin B. Ries, Katie Lotterhos, and Robert A. Eagle
Biogeosciences, 22, 2831–2851, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-2831-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-2831-2025, 2025
Short summary
Blanca Alvarez Caraveo, Maxence Guillermic, Alan Downey-Wall, Louise P. Cameron, Jill N. Sutton, John A. Higgins, Justin B. Ries, Katie Lotterhos, and Robert A. Eagle

Interactive discussion

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-1957', Anonymous Referee #1, 23 Aug 2024
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-1957', Anonymous Referee #2, 20 Sep 2024

Interactive discussion

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-1957', Anonymous Referee #1, 23 Aug 2024
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-1957', Anonymous Referee #2, 20 Sep 2024

Peer review completion

AR: Author's response | RR: Referee report | ED: Editor decision | EF: Editorial file upload
ED: Reconsider after major revisions (17 Oct 2024) by Niels de Winter
AR by Blanca Alvarez Caraveo on behalf of the Authors (20 Jan 2025)  Author's response   Author's tracked changes   Manuscript 
ED: Referee Nomination & Report Request started (22 Jan 2025) by Niels de Winter
RR by Anonymous Referee #1 (30 Jan 2025)
ED: Publish subject to minor revisions (review by editor) (31 Jan 2025) by Niels de Winter
AR by Blanca Alvarez Caraveo on behalf of the Authors (12 Feb 2025)  Author's response   Author's tracked changes 
EF by Katja Gänger (13 Feb 2025)  Manuscript 
ED: Publish as is (17 Feb 2025) by Niels de Winter
AR by Blanca Alvarez Caraveo on behalf of the Authors (26 Feb 2025)  Manuscript 

Journal article(s) based on this preprint

19 Jun 2025
Magnesium (Mg∕Ca, δ26Mg), boron (B∕Ca, δ11B), and calcium (Ca2+) geochemistry of Arctica islandica and Crassostrea virginica extrapallial fluid and shell under ocean acidification
Blanca Alvarez Caraveo, Maxence Guillermic, Alan Downey-Wall, Louise P. Cameron, Jill N. Sutton, John A. Higgins, Justin B. Ries, Katie Lotterhos, and Robert A. Eagle
Biogeosciences, 22, 2831–2851, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-2831-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-2831-2025, 2025
Short summary
Blanca Alvarez Caraveo, Maxence Guillermic, Alan Downey-Wall, Louise P. Cameron, Jill N. Sutton, John A. Higgins, Justin B. Ries, Katie Lotterhos, and Robert A. Eagle
Blanca Alvarez Caraveo, Maxence Guillermic, Alan Downey-Wall, Louise P. Cameron, Jill N. Sutton, John A. Higgins, Justin B. Ries, Katie Lotterhos, and Robert A. Eagle

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Short summary
We studied the geochemistry of two bivalves, Crassostrea virginica and Arctica islandica. We examined the effects of three ocean acidification conditions (ambient, moderate, and high) on the geochemistry of C. virginica. We show that bivalves have high physiological control over the internal calcifying fluid, presenting a challenge to using elemental proxies for reconstructing seawater parameters.
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