#coccolithus pelagicus

[micromademacro]

Not a photo but a different way of making the micro macro. 3d printed bronze pendant of half a Coccolithus pelagicus coccosphere. There are also many other models - jewellery or desk ornaments - available at www.ontogenie.de or just ontogenie on etsy. Go take a look! Makes for great presents like my birthday one above.

[todropscience]

ANCIENT MARINE ALGAE PROVIDES CLUES OF CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACT ON TODAY'S MICROSCOPIC OCEAN ORGANISMS

Coccolithophores, a type of single-celled marine algae that produce calcite skeletons which are preserved in sediment on the sea floor after the algae’s death, are prolific in today’s oceans and have been for millions of years. Their abundance means that they have a huge impact not only on marine ecosystems but on the global carbon cycle.

The significance of these organisms has led to great interest in how they – or, more specifically, their calcite skeletons – might be impacted by climate change and ocean acidification, both of which are the result of increased levels of greenhouses gasses in the earth’s atmosphere. A study led by the University of Southampton examined preserved fossil remains of coccolithophores from a previous warming period to get an idea of what might happen to the algae’s modern-day counterparts.

The research focused on the fossilized remains of two coccolithophore species from the Paleocene Eocene Thermal Maximum climate event (which took place roughly 56 million years ago), Coccolithus pelagicus and Toweius pertusus. Both species are closely related to the predominant species in modern oceans.

The study found that climate change “significantly altered coccolithophore calcification rates” during the PETM event: calcification rates were cut in half in response to various environmental factors. The reactions, however, were different between the two species: Coccolithus pelagicus sustained periods of delayed growth, whereas Toweius pertusus suffered overall reduction in the size of their skeletal component. Interestingly, ocean acidification appears to have had very limited impact, and only resulted in the slight thinning of the skeletal components of Coccolithus pelagicus.

The research will hopefully help researchers and climate scientists predict the impacts of climate change on modern-day coccolithophores and the subsequent impacts on marine ecosystems and the global carbon cycle.

(via ScienceDaily)

Journal reference (Open Access): Sarah A. O’Dea, Samantha J. Gibbs, Paul R. Bown, Jeremy R. Young, Alex J. Poulton, Cherry Newsam, Paul A. Wilson. Coccolithophore calcification response to past ocean acidification and climate change. Nature Communications, 2014; 5: 5363 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms6363

Image credit: University of Southampton

submitted by volk-morya