Summary
The extensive effects of ocean acidification (OA) are predicted to be first observed in high-latitude seas. The strong seasonal cycles in carbonate chemistry, occurring in the SO for the temporal partitioning of summertime primary production and wintertime heterotrophy, correspond to a summertime pH increase of 0.06 units on a regional scale in the SO and as much as 0.6 units locally, for example in the Ross Sea (McNeil et al. 2010). These rapid changes are of course affecting marine life of SO. Thus, a proliferation of studies to assess how abundant marine Antarctic calcifiers (biomineralizers), such as coralline algae, molluscs, echinoderms, and bryozoans will respond to global environmental change, has been recently developed (McClintock et al. 2009, Loxton et al. 2014). Among biomineralizers, bryozoans and coralline algae are of special interests in adaptative studies for their ability to respond to environmental changes via physiological and morphological alterations and being able to build underwater architectures, which promote biodiversity (bioconstructions) (Cocito 2004).

Objectives
ICECLIMALIZERS aims at investigating the role of selected species of calcifying organisms (bryozoans and coralline algae) from Terra Nova Bay as proxies for climate changes, especially ocean acidification. In particular, the project will correlate the biomineral characteristics of two different taxa with the environmental parameters experienced during species growth at the experimental site, and reconstruct pH and temperature experienced by the species in one year of growth.

Project Partners
• ENEA
• CNR-INM - Istituto di Ingegneria del Mare

Main Publications
• Lombardi C., Kuklinski P., Bordone A., Spirandelli E., Raiteri G. (in press): High – temporal resolution monitoring of seawater physico-chemical parameters in an Antarctic shallow coastal site (Terra Nova Bay, Ross Sea). – In: Montagna, P., Taviani, M. (Eds.) Polar Marine Carbonates; Minerals. DOI:10.3390/min11040374
• Lombardi C., Taylor P.D., Cocito S. (2020): Bryozoans: the ‘forgotten’ bioconstructors.- In: Rossi, S., Bramanti, L. (eds.) Perspectives on the Marine Animal Forests of the World; Springer Nature Switzerland, pp. 191-214.

Other informations: • The medclimalizers website

Figures
• F1 - Piotr Kukliński (Polish Academy of Sciences): Underwater observatory installed in Terra Nova Bay for the monitoring of temperature, salinity, DO and pH. (© PNRA)
• F2 - Piotr Kukliński (Polish Academy of Sciences): Recovery of the cages containing biological samples. (© PNRA)