Table 2. Comparison of results of previous ocean acidification experiments/observations using soft corals.

Soft coral species	Family	pH exposures	Exposure length	Affected response variables	Non-affected response variables	Reference
Xenia umbellata p	Xeniidae	8.3, 8.0, 7.8, 7.6	7 days per OA treatment	Reduced pulsation rate, growth rate and δ13C	Visual coloration, survival, Symbiodiniaceae cell density, chl. a content, Pnet, Pgross, Rdark, δ15N, %C, %N, C:N content	Present study
Xenia sp.p	Xeniidae	< 8.1	Longer periods	Uncoordinated pulsation*	N/A	[62]
Corallium rubrum	Coralliidae	8.09, 7.88, 7.77	10 and 45 days	Reduced biocalcification, growth rates and feeding	-	[63]
Corallium rubrum	Coralliidae	8.1, 7.81	314 days	Spicule morphology, reduced growth rate	Carbohydrate, lipid, protein and fatty acid composition	[64]
Ovabunda macrospiculata p	Xeniidae	8.2, 7.6, 7.3	30–90 days	-	Symbiodiniaceae cell density and chl. a content, sclerite weight;polyp weight, pulsation rate, polyp weight	[26]
Heteroxenia fuscescens p	Xeniidae	8.2, 7.6, 7.3	30–90 days	-	Symbiodiniaceae cell density and chl. a content
Sarcophyton sp.	Alcyoniidae	8.2, 7.6, 7.3	~150 days	-	Symbiodiniaceae cell density and chl. a content
Ovabunda macrospiculata p	Xeniidae	8.2, 7.6, 7.3	42 days	-	Sclerite microstructure	[27]
Eunicea fusca	Plexautidae	8.1–7.1	28 days	Growth and calcification both decreased with decreasing pH	-	[65]
Sarcophyton glaucum	Alcyoniidae	8.2, 8.0, 7.8	3 days	Reduced cytotoxic compounds (only at pH 7.8)	Cytotoxic compounds (at pH 8.0)	[28]
Veretillum cynomorium	Veretillidae	8.0, 7.7	60 days	-	Antioxidant enzymes, lipid peroxidation, heat shock response	[66]
Rhytisma fulvum	Alcyoniidae	~8.1, ~7.9, ~7.7	49 days	Reduced maximum relative electron transport rate	Alpha, Fv/Fm, Ek, NPQmax	[29]

N = Nitrogen

C = Carbon

P_net = net photosynthesis

P_gross = gross photosynthesis

R_dark = dark respiration

Chl. a = Chlorophyll a

^p = Pulsating xeniids

*Observation made by the book authors, not part of an empirical study