The response of a natural phytoplankton community from the Godavari River Estuary to increasing CO2 concentration during the pre-monsoon period

► Sensitivity of a tropical estuarine phytoplankton community to increasing pCO2. ► Higher growth and biomass production was observed at elevated pCO2. ► Cyanobacterial dominance over diatom in the high CO2 treatments. ► Nutrients have a great control on phytoplankton physiology and community structure. ► Increased heterotrophic bacterial abundance in the high CO2 treatment.