New research from the University of Washington’s Friday Harbor Laboratories shows that a more acidic ocean can weaken the protective shell of a delicate alga. The findings, published Sept. 9 in the journal Biology Letters, come at a time when global climate change may increase ocean acidification. The creature in question is Acetabularia acetabulum, commonly called the mermaid’s wineglass. Reaching a height of just a few inches, this single-celled alga lives on shallow seafloors, where sunlight can still filter down for photosynthesis. Like many marine creatures, the mermaid’s wineglass sports a supportive skeleton made of calcium carbonate. Its skeleton is thought to deter grazing by predators and keep the alga’s thin stem rigid to support the round reproductive structure on top, said UW biology professor and senior author Emily Carrington.
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