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Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Research
Article . 2026 . Peer-reviewed
Data sources: Crossref
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Resilience to Alkalinity Perturbations Reveals Ecosystem Stability under Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement

Authors: Yuanhao Liu; Xuechao Wang; Ruoyu Niu; Xin Huang; Xunying Zhou; Huiquan Li; Gang Li; +2 Authors

Resilience to Alkalinity Perturbations Reveals Ecosystem Stability under Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement

Abstract

Ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) is a leading climate mitigation strategy for atmospheric carbon dioxide removal, with theoretical potential to sequester gigatons of CO 2 annually while counteracting ocean acidification. However, as a deliberate anthropogenic perturbation to the marine carbonate system, the ecological consequences for the microbial communities that underpin marine biogeochemical cycles remain incompletely understood. Alterations in seawater pH and carbonate saturation states could influence microbial assemblages, with implications for ecosystem functioning and stability under global climate change. In this study, we experimentally assessed the responses of marine prokaryotic communities to unequilibrated alkalinity additions (85 to 495 μmol·kg −1 ) using Mg(OH) 2 in the subtropical South China Sea. Across both microcosm (55 l) and mesocosm (50,000 l) scales during the wet and dry seasons, a total alkalinity increase of 80 to 427 μmol·kg −1 substantially elevated pH (8.57 to 8.77) and carbonate saturation states. Despite these pronounced chemical perturbations, the prokaryotic diversity, community structure, and predicted metabolic functions remained remarkably stable. This stability persisted across different experimental scales and contrasting seasonal conditions. Instead, seasonal variability and nutrient availability were the dominant drivers of microbial community shifts, overwhelming the minor effects of alkalinity addition. Our findings align with recent studies from the North Atlantic and the Equatorial Pacific, suggesting that the resilience of prokaryotic communities to moderate, unequilibrated OAE is a robust, globally relevant phenomenon. This study emphasizes that even under relatively intense OAE scenarios, microbial community stability may help sustain ecosystem functioning amid emerging ocean-based carbon dioxide removal interventions, a key finding for developing effective monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) frameworks.

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selected citations
These citations are derived from selected sources.
This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Citations provided by BIP!
popularity
This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Popularity provided by BIP!
influence
This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Influence provided by BIP!
impulse
This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Impulse provided by BIP!
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