| Microbial selection experiments provide an excellent way of understanding basic questions in evolution where the results are meant to be generalized. Microbes are also important in their own right, since they are abundant and contribute to large-scale processes such as nutrient cycling. However, when laboratory experiments are used to understand particular ecological outcomes, such as microalgal responses to elevated CO2, it is vital that the outcomes of laboratory experiments be compared with natural analogues. Here, I briefly review the evolutionary response to elevated CO2 in lab populations of Chlamydomonas, and compare it to the phenotype of natural microalgal populations from high CO2 springs. I outline the physiological similarities (and differences) between Chlamydomonas and marine phytoplankton thought to be important to the ocean's ability to sequester CO2. From this, I suggest how well-established model systems such as Chlamydomonas can be used alongside studies in natural assemblages to understand phytoplankton responses to global change.
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