Authors: J. Carlot, S. Comeau, A. Chiarore, A. Mirasole, S. Alliouane, F. Micheli, C. L. Hurd, J.-P. Gattuso, N. Teixidó
Abstract: Ocean acidification (OA) driven by increasing atmospheric CO₂ is altering marine biodiversity. However, impacts of OA on ecosystem functioning at the community level, including calcification, primary production, and nutrient uptake, remain largely unknown. Here, we conducted community transplant experiments at natural CO₂ vents to assess how declining pH affects marine community species composition, biomass, and key ecosystem processes over time. Our results indicate that community shifts caused by declining pH lead to decreased biomass and calcification rates, while photosynthesis and nutrient uptake rates increased. By leveraging OA field model systems and in situ measurements of ecosystem functioning, this study provides critical insights into how OA-induced biodiversity loss reshapes the structure and functioning of temperate marine coastal ecosystems.
Data availability. The raw observational data underlying this study are subject to a temporary embargo, as they form part of the ongoing Beatriu de Pinós grant (2024BP00106; expected completion: 31 August 2027). To ensure full reproducibility, we provide the complete processed datasets, model outputs, and fully annotated analysis code used to generate all results, tables, and figures in the manuscript. Upon completion of the grant, the raw data will be made publicly available in this repository.
Figure reproducibility. All figures and figure panels presented in the manuscript were graphically post-processed for publication purposes. As a result, figures generated directly from the provided code may differ slightly in layout or formatting from those shown in the published article. However, the code reproduces all figures in their analytical (raw) form and fully replicates the underlying results.
Repository structure.
📁 Data is the folder where you might find the Final Data needed to reproduce the figures or use for meta-analyses.
• Figure 1 • Figure 2 • Figure 3 • Figure 4 •
The Raw Data required to run the analyses are also available in the repository. They are organized into six groups: (1) Diving and experiment logbook, (2) pH datasets, (3) Function datasets, (4) Cover datasets, (5) Biomass datasets, and (6) PAR dataset. A more detailed description of these datasets and how they are loaded is provided in the 02_Load_Data.R script. All datasets are stored in .RData format to allow faster and more efficient loading within R.
📁 R_Script hosts the scripts used for the current analyses.
The analysis scripts are indexed and correspond to the different phases of the project conducted over the past two years. To reproduce the analyses, simply run 00. Control.R. This master script automatically sources the six subsequent scripts and generates the intermediate datasets as well as the raw figures required for the analyses.
Each script is documented and linked below:
- 01. Packages & Functions: Compiles all required package libraries and loads the custom functions developed for this study.
- 02. Load Data: Extracts all raw datasets required to reproduce the analyses and figures.
- 03. Initial Conditions: Defines the experimental conditions (Table 1) and generates the output for Figure 1.
- 04. Biomass Change: Explores biomass changes over the 130-day experiment and generates the output for Figure 2.
- 05. Transplant Change: Explores changes in six functional rates in the transplant experiment and generates the output for Figure 3.
- 06. Historical Change: Explores changes in six functional rates in the historical experiment and generates the output for Figure 4.
As the raw observational data are not yet publicly available, the following scripts correspond to the figures in the manuscript and currently work with the processed data:
• Figure 1 • Figure 2 • Figure 3 • Figure 4 •
📁 Outputs hosts the main figures. As stated before, the figures are post-processed but you can find the raw figures as well.
• Figure 1 • Figure 2 • Figure 3 • Figure 4 •
System informations
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Author contributions: All authors have agreed to the submission of this manuscript and take responsibility for the integrity, accuracy, and ethics of the work. J.C. and N.T. are responsible for the overall integrity of the manuscript. All authors made substantial intellectual contributions and meet the authorship criteria of Ecology Letters. Conceptualization: J.C., S.C., J-P.G. and N.T. Data curation: J.C., A.C., A.M., S.A. and N.T. Formal analysis: J.C. Investigation: J.C., A.C., A.M. and N.T. Writing (first draft): J.C. Writing (review and editing): J.C., S.C., A.C., A.M., S.A., C.L.H., F.M., J-P.G. and N.T. Funding: J.C & N.T. The authors declare no competing interests.