Responses of Diatoms and Coccolithophores growth, productivity and metabolism to pCO2 and metal levels (Zn, Co, Cd) and set up of chemostats

Reproducing the impact of climate change on marine phytoplankton in a laboratory setting was the aim of Dr. Cozic-Houly’s postdoctoral research. The change in atmospheric CO2 concentration will alter phytoplankton productivity by affecting the bioavailability of trace metals and could, through feedback, result in major effects on the composition of the atmosphere. Dr. Cozic-Houly evaluated the effects of a change in the concentration of certain trace metals considered to be micronutrients in the physiology of microalgae. In order to do so, she developed bioreactors in order to cultivate, in a controlled setting, various species of phytoplankton. The ultimate aim of these experiments was to design new models capable of simulating the effects of ocean acidification on marine organisms.