SuessR: Regional corrections for the effects of anthropogenic CO2 on δ13C data from marine organisms
Abstract Anthropogenic CO2 emissions associated with fossil fuel combustion have caused declines in baseline oceanic δ13C values. This phenomenon, called the Suess effect, can confound comparisons of marine δ13C data from different years. The Suess effect can be corrected for mathematically; however...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2021-08-01
|
| Series: | Methods in Ecology and Evolution |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.13622 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1825206761458499584 |
|---|---|
| author | Casey T. Clark Mattias R. Cape Mark D. Shapley Franz J. Mueter Bruce P. Finney Nicole Misarti |
| author_facet | Casey T. Clark Mattias R. Cape Mark D. Shapley Franz J. Mueter Bruce P. Finney Nicole Misarti |
| author_sort | Casey T. Clark |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Anthropogenic CO2 emissions associated with fossil fuel combustion have caused declines in baseline oceanic δ13C values. This phenomenon, called the Suess effect, can confound comparisons of marine δ13C data from different years. The Suess effect can be corrected for mathematically; however, a variety of disparate techniques are currently used, often resulting in corrections that differ substantially. SuessR is a free, user‐friendly tool that allows researchers to calculate and apply regional Suess corrections to δ13C data from marine systems using a unified approach. SuessR updates existing methods for calculating region‐specific Suess corrections for samples collected from 1850 to 2020. It also estimates changes in phytoplankton 13C fractionation associated with increasing water temperature and aqueous CO2 concentrations, referred to here as the Laws effect. SuessR version 0.1.3 contains four built‐in regions, including three in the subpolar North Pacific (Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska) and one North Atlantic region (Subpolar North Atlantic). Users can also supply environmental data for regions not currently built into SuessR to generate their own custom corrections. In 2020, net corrections (Suess + Laws corrections) were as follows—Bering Sea: 1.29‰; Aleutian Islands: 1.30‰, Gulf of Alaska: 1.30‰; and Subpolar North Atlantic: 1.31‰ (compared to a global atmospheric CO2 change of ~2.43‰ across the same period). For samples collected in 2020, the net correction exceeds instrumental error (±0.2‰) when making comparisons across only eight years (i.e. 2013–2020). The magnitude of the Suess effect calculated by SuessR aligns with published estimates, whereas the Laws effect is smaller than previously calculated, resulting from updated estimates of average community cell sizes, growth rates and permeability of phytoplankton plasmalemmas (the plasma membrane which bounds the cell) to CO2. The increasing magnitude of the Suess effect means this phenomenon is no longer only of concern to historical ecologists, but now affects contemporary ecological studies using δ13C data. This highlights the importance of a unified approach for generating Suess corrections. The SuessR package provides a customizable tool that is simple to use and will improve the interpretability and comparability of future stable isotopic studies of marine ecology. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-f45c6874ac1442afb3c939adfe6a781f |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2041-210X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2021-08-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Methods in Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj-art-f45c6874ac1442afb3c939adfe6a781f2025-02-07T06:21:05ZengWileyMethods in Ecology and Evolution2041-210X2021-08-011281508152010.1111/2041-210X.13622SuessR: Regional corrections for the effects of anthropogenic CO2 on δ13C data from marine organismsCasey T. Clark0Mattias R. Cape1Mark D. Shapley2Franz J. Mueter3Bruce P. Finney4Nicole Misarti5Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, and Ecosystem Studies University of Washington Seattle WA USASchool of Oceanography University of Washington Seattle WA USACDSCO/National Lacustrine Core Facility University of Minnesota Minneapolis MN USACollege of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences University of Alaska Fairbanks Juneau AK USADepartments of Biological Sciences and Geosciences Idaho State University Pocatello ID USAWater and Environmental Research Center University of Alaska Fairbanks Fairbanks AK USAAbstract Anthropogenic CO2 emissions associated with fossil fuel combustion have caused declines in baseline oceanic δ13C values. This phenomenon, called the Suess effect, can confound comparisons of marine δ13C data from different years. The Suess effect can be corrected for mathematically; however, a variety of disparate techniques are currently used, often resulting in corrections that differ substantially. SuessR is a free, user‐friendly tool that allows researchers to calculate and apply regional Suess corrections to δ13C data from marine systems using a unified approach. SuessR updates existing methods for calculating region‐specific Suess corrections for samples collected from 1850 to 2020. It also estimates changes in phytoplankton 13C fractionation associated with increasing water temperature and aqueous CO2 concentrations, referred to here as the Laws effect. SuessR version 0.1.3 contains four built‐in regions, including three in the subpolar North Pacific (Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska) and one North Atlantic region (Subpolar North Atlantic). Users can also supply environmental data for regions not currently built into SuessR to generate their own custom corrections. In 2020, net corrections (Suess + Laws corrections) were as follows—Bering Sea: 1.29‰; Aleutian Islands: 1.30‰, Gulf of Alaska: 1.30‰; and Subpolar North Atlantic: 1.31‰ (compared to a global atmospheric CO2 change of ~2.43‰ across the same period). For samples collected in 2020, the net correction exceeds instrumental error (±0.2‰) when making comparisons across only eight years (i.e. 2013–2020). The magnitude of the Suess effect calculated by SuessR aligns with published estimates, whereas the Laws effect is smaller than previously calculated, resulting from updated estimates of average community cell sizes, growth rates and permeability of phytoplankton plasmalemmas (the plasma membrane which bounds the cell) to CO2. The increasing magnitude of the Suess effect means this phenomenon is no longer only of concern to historical ecologists, but now affects contemporary ecological studies using δ13C data. This highlights the importance of a unified approach for generating Suess corrections. The SuessR package provides a customizable tool that is simple to use and will improve the interpretability and comparability of future stable isotopic studies of marine ecology. https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.13622carbon dioxidecarbon isotopesfractionationphytoplanktonSuess correctionSuess effect |
| spellingShingle | Casey T. Clark Mattias R. Cape Mark D. Shapley Franz J. Mueter Bruce P. Finney Nicole Misarti SuessR: Regional corrections for the effects of anthropogenic CO2 on δ13C data from marine organisms Methods in Ecology and Evolution carbon dioxide carbon isotopes fractionation phytoplankton Suess correction Suess effect |
| title | SuessR: Regional corrections for the effects of anthropogenic CO2 on δ13C data from marine organisms |
| title_full | SuessR: Regional corrections for the effects of anthropogenic CO2 on δ13C data from marine organisms |
| title_fullStr | SuessR: Regional corrections for the effects of anthropogenic CO2 on δ13C data from marine organisms |
| title_full_unstemmed | SuessR: Regional corrections for the effects of anthropogenic CO2 on δ13C data from marine organisms |
| title_short | SuessR: Regional corrections for the effects of anthropogenic CO2 on δ13C data from marine organisms |
| title_sort | suessr regional corrections for the effects of anthropogenic co2 on δ13c data from marine organisms |
| topic | carbon dioxide carbon isotopes fractionation phytoplankton Suess correction Suess effect |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.13622 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT caseytclark suessrregionalcorrectionsfortheeffectsofanthropogenicco2ond13cdatafrommarineorganisms AT mattiasrcape suessrregionalcorrectionsfortheeffectsofanthropogenicco2ond13cdatafrommarineorganisms AT markdshapley suessrregionalcorrectionsfortheeffectsofanthropogenicco2ond13cdatafrommarineorganisms AT franzjmueter suessrregionalcorrectionsfortheeffectsofanthropogenicco2ond13cdatafrommarineorganisms AT brucepfinney suessrregionalcorrectionsfortheeffectsofanthropogenicco2ond13cdatafrommarineorganisms AT nicolemisarti suessrregionalcorrectionsfortheeffectsofanthropogenicco2ond13cdatafrommarineorganisms |