Increases in cell numbers at the end of the 21st century as a result of increased concentration of greenhouse gases

Range Prochlorococcus 29% Synechococcus 14% %
Organism Cyanobacteria
Reference Flombaum P et al., Present and future global distributions of the marine Cyanobacteria Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013 Jun 11 110(24):9824-9. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1307701110. Abstract & p.9826 left column 2nd paragraphPubMed ID23703908
Method Abstract:"Here, [investigators] present quantitative niche models for these lineages that assess present and future global abundances and distributions."
Comments Abstract:"The models estimate global biogeographic patterns and seasonal variability of cell abundance, with maxima in the warm oligotrophic gyres of the Indian and the western Pacific Oceans and minima at higher latitudes. The annual mean global abundances of Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus are 2.9 ± 0.1 × 10(27) and 7.0 ± 0.3 × 10(26) cells, respectively. Using projections of sea surface temperature as a result of increased concentration of greenhouse gases at the end of the 21st century, [investigators'] niche models projected increases in cell numbers of 29% and 14% for Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus, respectively." P.9826 left column 2nd paragraph:"Next, [investigators] estimated sea surface abundances and distributions for the end of the 20th and 21st centuries using climate model projections of sea surface temperatures (ref 18). The projection for the 21st century used the Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 4.5 scenario, which was based on a stabilization of the radiative forcing of greenhouse gases at what is equivalent to 650 ppm CO2. Because of the rise in temperature, the multimodel ensemble mean projected a 28.7% and 13.9% increase in Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus abundance, respectively."
Entered by Uri M
ID 112101