AUTHOR=O'Brien Paul A. , Morrow Kathleen M. , Willis Bette L. , Bourne David G. TITLE=Implications of Ocean Acidification for Marine Microorganisms from the Free-Living to the Host-Associated JOURNAL=Frontiers in Marine Science VOLUME=3 YEAR=2016 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2016.00047 DOI=10.3389/fmars.2016.00047 ISSN=2296-7745 ABSTRACT=
Anthropogenic CO2 emissions are causing oceans to become more acidic, with consequences for all marine life including microorganisms. Studies reveal that from the microbes that occupy the open ocean to those intimately associated with their invertebrate hosts changing ocean chemistry will alter the critical functions of these important organisms. Our current understanding indicates that bacterial communities associated with their host will shift as pH drops by another 0.2–0.4 units over the next 100 years. It is unclear what impacts this will have for host health, however, increased vulnerability to disease seems likely for those associated with reef corals. Natural CO2 seeps have provided a unique setting for the study of microbial communities under OA