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Underestimation of calcium carbonate saturation state in marginal seas due to the disregard of calcium ion addition: A case study of the Bohai Sea, China

Calcium ion,Non-conservative behavior,Aragonite saturation state,Acidification,Bohai Sea

Session 13 - Coastal Environmental Ecology under anthropogenic activities and natural changes

Seawater calcium ion (Ca²⁺) concentration was investigated based on the potentiometric titration method during the summer of 2018 in the Bohai Sea, China. The measured Ca²⁺ concentration ranged from 7760 to 9739 μmol kg^–1 and deviated from the theoretical Ca²⁺ values, which were estimated from the calcium/salinity ratio. The excess calcium (Ca²⁺_excess) ranged from 186 to 1229 μmol kg^–1, showing a decreasing trend from the estuary to the nearshore, and then the offshore areas. Riverine input was an important source of seawater Ca²⁺_excess in the Bohai Sea. Biological activity was another factor in regulating seawater Ca²⁺_excess by precipitation in the Yellow River estuary and dissolution in other area of the Bohai Sea. Furthermore, the aragonite saturation state (Ω_arag) values calculated from the measured Ca²⁺ concentrations showed a significant deviation from the values calculated from the theoretical Ca²⁺ concentrations, especially in the estuarine area with a maximum difference of 18.5%. Therefore, the disregard of the calcium addition would lead to an underestimation of the calcium carbonate saturation state and a deviation in the assessment of ocean acidification in marginal seas.