Articles | Volume 16, issue 11
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-2285-2019
© Author(s) 2019. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-2285-2019
© Author(s) 2019. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
04 Jun 2019
Research article |
| 04 Jun 2019
| 04 Jun 2019
Subaqueous speleothems (Hells Bells) formed by the interplay of pelagic redoxcline biogeochemistry and specific hydraulic conditions in the El Zapote sinkhole, Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico
Simon Michael Ritter
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Institute of Earth Sciences, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer
Feld 234–236, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
Margot Isenbeck-Schröter
Institute of Earth Sciences, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer
Feld 234–236, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
Heidelberg Center for the
Environment (HCE), Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
Christian Scholz
Institute of Earth Sciences, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer
Feld 234–236, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
Frank Keppler
Institute of Earth Sciences, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer
Feld 234–236, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
Heidelberg Center for the
Environment (HCE), Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
Johannes Gescher
Institute for Applied Biosciences, Department of Applied Biology,
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany
Institute for Biological Interfaces, Karlsruhe Institute of
Technology (KIT), Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
Lukas Klose
Institute of Earth Sciences, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer
Feld 234–236, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
Nils Schorndorf
Institute of Earth Sciences, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer
Feld 234–236, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
Jerónimo Avilés Olguín
Instituto de
la Prehistoria de América, Carretera federal 307, km 282, Solidaridad,
77711 Solidaridad, Quintana Roo, Mexico
Arturo González-González
Museo del Desierto,
Carlos Abedrop Davila 3745, Nuevo Centro Metropolitano de Saltillo, 25022
Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico
Wolfgang Stinnesbeck
Institute of Earth Sciences, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer
Feld 234–236, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
Heidelberg Center for the
Environment (HCE), Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
Related authors
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Anna Wieland, Markus Greule, Philipp Roemer, Jan Esper, and Frank Keppler
Clim. Past, 18, 1849–1866, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-1849-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-1849-2022, 2022
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We examined annually resolved stable carbon and hydrogen isotope ratios of wood lignin methoxy groups of beech trees growing in temperate, low elevation environments. Here, carbon isotope ratios reveal highest correlations with regional summer temperatures while hydrogen isotope ratios correlate more strongly with large-scale temperature changes. By combining the dual isotope ratios of wood lignin methoxy groups, a proxy for regional- to subcontinental-scale temperature patterns can be applied.
Moritz Schroll, Frank Keppler, Markus Greule, Christian Eckhardt, Holger Zorn, and Katharina Lenhart
Biogeosciences, 17, 3891–3901, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-3891-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-3891-2020, 2020
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Fungi have recently been identified to produce the greenhouse gas methane. Here, we investigated the stable carbon isotope values of methane produced by saprotrophic fungi. Our results show that stable isotope values of methane from fungi are dependent on the fungal species and the metabolized substrate. They cover a broad range and overlap with stable carbon isotope values of methane reported for methanogenic archaea, the thermogenic degradation of organic matter, and other eukaryotes.
Thomas Klintzsch, Gerald Langer, Gernot Nehrke, Anna Wieland, Katharina Lenhart, and Frank Keppler
Biogeosciences, 16, 4129–4144, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-4129-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-4129-2019, 2019
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Marine algae might contribute to the observed methane oversaturation in oxic waters, but so far direct evidence for methane production by marine algae is limited. We investigated three widespread haptophytes for methane formation. Our results provide unambiguous evidence that all investigated marine algae produce methane per se and at substantial rates. We conclude that each of the three algae studied here could substantially account for the methane production observed in field studies.
Enno Bahlmann, Frank Keppler, Julian Wittmer, Markus Greule, Heinz Friedrich Schöler, Richard Seifert, and Cornelius Zetzsch
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 1703–1719, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-1703-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-1703-2019, 2019
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Chloromethane is the most important natural carrier of chlorine to the stratosphere. From a newly determined carbon isotope effect of −11.2 ‰ for the tropospheric loss of CH3Cl we derive a tropical rainforest CH3Cl source of 670 ± 200 Gg a−1, 60 % smaller than previous estimates. A revision of previous bottom-up estimates using above-ground biomass instead of rainforest area strongly supports this lower estimate. Our results suggest a large unknown tropical value of 1530 ± 200 Gg a−1.
Tobias Anhäuser, Birgit Sehls, Werner Thomas, Claudia Hartl, Markus Greule, Denis Scholz, Jan Esper, and Frank Keppler
Clim. Past Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-2019-8, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-2019-8, 2019
Revised manuscript not accepted
Kim Alix Jakob, Jörg Pross, Christian Scholz, Jens Fiebig, and Oliver Friedrich
Clim. Past, 14, 1079–1095, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-14-1079-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-14-1079-2018, 2018
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Eastern equatorial Pacific (EEP) thermocline dynamics during the intensification of Northern Hemisphere glaciation (iNHG; ~ 2.5 Ma) currently remain unclear. In light of this uncertainty, we generated geochemical, faunal and sedimentological data for EEP Site 849 (~ 2.75–2.4 Ma). We recorded a thermocline depth change shortly before the final phase of the iNHG, which supports the hypothesis that tropical thermocline shoaling may have contributed to substantial Northern Hemisphere ice growth.
Frank Keppler, Enno Bahlmann, Markus Greule, Heinz Friedrich Schöler, Julian Wittmer, and Cornelius Zetzsch
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 6625–6635, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-6625-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-6625-2018, 2018
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Chloromethane is involved in stratospheric ozone depletion, but detailed knowledge of its global budget is missing. In this study stable hydrogen isotope analyses were performed to investigate the dominant loss process for atmospheric chloromethane with photochemically produced hydroxyl radicals. The findings might have significant implications for the use of stable isotope signatures in elucidation of global chloromethane cycling.
Katharina Lenhart, Thomas Klintzsch, Gerald Langer, Gernot Nehrke, Michael Bunge, Sylvia Schnell, and Frank Keppler
Biogeosciences, 13, 3163–3174, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-3163-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-3163-2016, 2016
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In this study we investigated marine algae as a source of CH4 in oxic surface waters of oceans. Algae-derived CH4 may explain the CH4 oversaturating state within the surface mixed layer, sometimes also termed the "oceanic methane paradox".
This finding of an overlooked source of CH4 in marine environments will be of considerable importance to scientists in many disciplines because algae play a crucial role in organic matter cycling in marine and freshwater ecosystems.
K. Lenhart, F. Althoff, M. Greule, and F. Keppler
Biogeosciences, 12, 1907–1914, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-1907-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-1907-2015, 2015
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Plants are known as a source of methane (CH4), but the biochemical mechanisms involved in CH4 formation are still unknown. Employing 13C-labelled methionine clearly identified the sulfur-bound methyl group of methionine as a carbon precursor of CH4 released from lavender plants. When relating CH4 emission rates to dark respiration of intact plants, we found a molar CH4:CO2 emission ratio of 2.0 ±1.1 (pmol:µmol). After physical stress CH4 release rates greatly increased.
A. Jugold, F. Althoff, M. Hurkuck, M. Greule, K. Lenhart, J. Lelieveld, and F. Keppler
Biogeosciences, 9, 5291–5301, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-9-5291-2012, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-9-5291-2012, 2012
Related subject area
Biogeochemistry: Biomineralization
Multi-proxy assessment of brachiopod shell calcite as a potential archive of seawater temperature and oxygen isotope composition
Extracellular enzyme production in the coastal upwelling system off Peru during different upwelling scenarios: a mesocosm experiment
Upper-ocean flux of biogenic calcite produced by the Arctic planktonic foraminifera Neogloboquadrina pachyderma
Do bacterial viruses affect framboid-like mineral formation?
Calcification response of reef corals to seasonal upwelling in the northern Arabian Sea (Masirah Island, Oman)
Growth rate rather than temperature affects the B∕Ca ratio in the calcareous red alga Lithothamnion corallioides
Heavy metal uptake of nearshore benthic foraminifera during multi-metal culturing experiments
A stable ultrastructural pattern despite variable cell size in Lithothamnion corallioides
Decoupling salinity and carbonate chemistry: low calcium ion concentration rather than salinity limits calcification in Baltic Sea mussels
Technical note: A universal method for measuring the thickness of microscopic calcite crystals, based on bidirectional circular polarization
The patterns of elemental concentration (Ca, Na, Sr, Mg, Mn, Ba, Cu, Pb, V, Y, U and Cd) in shells of invertebrates representing different CaCO3 polymorphs: a case study from the brackish Gulf of Gdańsk (the Baltic Sea)
Carbonic anhydrase is involved in calcification by the benthic foraminifer Amphistegina lessonii
Distribution of chlorine and fluorine in benthic foraminifera
Rare earth elements in oyster shells: provenance discrimination and potential vital effects
Determining how biotic and abiotic variables affect the shell condition and parameters of Heliconoides inflatus pteropods from a sediment trap in the Cariaco Basin
Intercomparison of four methods to estimate coral calcification under various environmental conditions
Technical note: The silicon isotopic composition of choanoflagellates: implications for a mechanistic understanding of isotopic fractionation during biosilicification
Insights into architecture, growth dynamics, and biomineralization from pulsed Sr-labelled Katelysia rhytiphora shells (Mollusca, Bivalvia)
Kinetics of calcite precipitation by ureolytic bacteria under aerobic and anaerobic conditions
Coupled calcium and inorganic carbon uptake suggested by magnesium and sulfur incorporation in foraminiferal calcite
Planktonic foraminiferal spine versus shell carbonate Na incorporation in relation to salinity
Precipitation of calcium carbonate mineral induced by viral lysis of cyanobacteria: evidence from laboratory experiments
Mineral formation induced by cable bacteria performing long-distance electron transport in marine sediments
Variation in brachiopod microstructure and isotope geochemistry under low-pH–ocean acidification conditions
Weaving of biomineralization framework in rotaliid foraminifera: implications for paleoceanographic proxies
Marine and freshwater micropearls: biomineralization producing strontium-rich amorphous calcium carbonate inclusions is widespread in the genus Tetraselmis (Chlorophyta)
Carbon and nitrogen turnover in the Arctic deep sea: in situ benthic community response to diatom and coccolithophorid phytodetritus
Technical note: A refinement of coccolith separation methods: measuring the sinking characteristics of coccoliths
Improving the strength of sandy soils via ureolytic CaCO3 solidification by Sporosarcina ureae
Impact of salinity on element incorporation in two benthic foraminiferal species with contrasting magnesium contents
Calcification in a marginal sea – influence of seawater [Ca2+] and carbonate chemistry on bivalve shell formation
Effect of temperature rise and ocean acidification on growth of calcifying tubeworm shells (Spirorbis spirorbis): an in situ benthocosm approach
Phosphorus limitation and heat stress decrease calcification in Emiliania huxleyi
Anatomical structure overrides temperature controls on magnesium uptake – calcification in the Arctic/subarctic coralline algae Leptophytum laeve and Kvaleya epilaeve (Rhodophyta; Corallinales)
Coral calcifying fluid aragonite saturation states derived from Raman spectroscopy
Impact of trace metal concentrations on coccolithophore growth and morphology: laboratory simulations of Cretaceous stress
Ba incorporation in benthic foraminifera
Size-dependent response of foraminiferal calcification to seawater carbonate chemistry
Technical note: an economical apparatus for the observation and harvest of mineral precipitation experiments with light microscopy
Physiology regulates the relationship between coccosphere geometry and growth phase in coccolithophores
Trends in element incorporation in hyaline and porcelaneous foraminifera as a function of pCO2
Decoupled carbonate chemistry controls on the incorporation of boron into Orbulina universa
Mineralogical response of the Mediterranean crustose coralline alga Lithophyllum cabiochae to near-future ocean acidification and warming
Temperature affects the morphology and calcification of Emiliania huxleyi strains
Skeletal mineralogy of coral recruits under high temperature and pCO2
Direct uptake of organically derived carbon by grass roots and allocation in leaves and phytoliths: 13C labeling evidence
pH up-regulation as a potential mechanism for the cold-water coral Lophelia pertusa to sustain growth in aragonite undersaturated conditions
Iron encrustations on filamentous algae colonized by Gallionella-related bacteria in a metal-polluted freshwater stream
Ocean acidification does not affect magnesium composition or dolomite formation in living crustose coralline algae, Porolithon onkodes in an experimental system
Reconsidering the role of carbonate ion concentration in calcification by marine organisms
Thomas Letulle, Danièle Gaspard, Mathieu Daëron, Florent Arnaud-Godet, Arnauld Vinçon-Laugier, Guillaume Suan, and Christophe Lécuyer
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2022-1144, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2022-1144, 2022
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In this paper, we study the chemistry of modern marine shells called brachiopods. We investigate the relationship of the chemistry of these shells with marine temperatures to test and develop tools for estimating marine temperatures in the distant past. Our results confirm that two of the investigated chemical markers are useful as a thermometer providing the use of calibrations specific to brachiopod shells. The other chemical markers investigated, however, should not be used as a thermometer.
Kristian Spilling, Jonna Piiparinen, Eric P. Achterberg, Javier Arístegui, Lennart T. Bach, Maria T. Camarena-Gómez, Elisabeth von der Esch, Martin A. Fischer, Markel Gómez-Letona, Nauzet Hernández-Hernández, Judith Meyer, Ruth A. Schmitz, and Ulf Riebesell
Biogeosciences Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2022-188, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2022-188, 2022
Revised manuscript accepted for BG
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We carried out an enclosure experiment with surface water off Peru with different additions of deep water representing possible future ocean scenarios. In this paper we report on enzyme activity, and provide data on the decomposition of organic matter. We found very high activity of an enzyme breaking down protein, suggesting this is important for the nutrient recycling both at present and in the future ocean.
Franziska Tell, Lukas Jonkers, Julie Meilland, and Michal Kucera
Biogeosciences, 19, 4903–4927, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4903-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4903-2022, 2022
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This study analyses the production of calcite shells formed by one of the main Arctic pelagic calcifiers, the foraminifera N. pachyderma. Using vertically resolved profiles of shell concentration, size and weight, we show that calcification occurs throughout the upper 300 m with an average production flux below the calcification zone of 8 mg CaCO3 m−2 d−1 representing 23 % of the total pelagic biogenic carbonate production. The production flux is attenuated in the twilight zone by dissolution.
Paweł Działak, Marcin D. Syczewski, Kamil Kornaus, Mirosław Słowakiewicz, Łukasz Zych, and Andrzej Borkowski
Biogeosciences, 19, 4533–4550, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4533-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4533-2022, 2022
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Bacteriophages comprise one of the factors that may influence mineralization processes. The number of bacteriophages in the environment usually exceeds the number of bacteria by an order of magnitude. One of the more interesting processes is the formation of framboidal pyrite, and it is not entirely clear what processes determine its formation. Our studies indicate that some bacterial viruses may influence the formation of framboid-like or spherical structures.
Philipp M. Spreter, Markus Reuter, Regina Mertz-Kraus, Oliver Taylor, and Thomas C. Brachert
Biogeosciences, 19, 3559–3573, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-3559-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-3559-2022, 2022
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We investigate the calcification rate of reef corals from an upwelling zone, where low seawater pH and high nutrient concentrations represent a recent analogue for the future ocean. Calcification rate of the corals largely relies on extension growth. Variable responses of extension growth to nutrients either compensate or exacerbate negative effects of weak skeletal thickening associated with low seawater pH – a mechanism that is critical for the persistence of coral reefs under global change.
Giulia Piazza, Valentina A. Bracchi, Antonio Langone, Agostino N. Meroni, and Daniela Basso
Biogeosciences, 19, 1047–1065, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-1047-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-1047-2022, 2022
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The coralline alga Lithothamnion corallioides is widely distributed in the Mediterranean Sea and NE Atlantic Ocean, where it constitutes rhodolith beds, which are diversity-rich ecosystems on the seabed. The boron incorporated in the calcified thallus of coralline algae (B/Ca) can be used to trace past changes in seawater carbonate and pH. This paper suggests a non-negligible effect of algal growth rate on B/Ca, recommending caution in adopting this proxy for paleoenvironmental reconstructions.
Sarina Schmidt, Ed C. Hathorne, Joachim Schönfeld, and Dieter Garbe-Schönberg
Biogeosciences, 19, 629–664, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-629-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-629-2022, 2022
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The study addresses the potential of marine shell-forming organisms as proxy carriers for heavy metal contamination in the environment. The aim is to investigate if the incorporation of heavy metals is a direct function of their concentration in seawater. Culturing experiments with a metal mixture were carried out over a wide concentration range. Our results show shell-forming organisms to be natural archives that enable the determination of metals in polluted and pristine environments.
Valentina Alice Bracchi, Giulia Piazza, and Daniela Basso
Biogeosciences, 18, 6061–6076, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-6061-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-6061-2021, 2021
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Ultrastructures of Lithothamnion corallioides, a crustose coralline alga collected from the Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea at different depths, show high-Mg-calcite cell walls formed by crystals with a specific shape and orientation that are unaffected by different environmental conditions of the living sites. This suggests that the biomineralization process is biologically controlled in coralline algae and can have interesting applications in paleontology.
Trystan Sanders, Jörn Thomsen, Jens Daniel Müller, Gregor Rehder, and Frank Melzner
Biogeosciences, 18, 2573–2590, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-2573-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-2573-2021, 2021
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The Baltic Sea is expected to experience a rapid drop in salinity and increases in acidity and warming in the next century. Calcifying mussels dominate Baltic Sea seafloor ecosystems yet are sensitive to changes in seawater chemistry. We combine laboratory experiments and a field study and show that a lack of calcium causes extremely slow growth rates in mussels at low salinities. Subsequently, climate change in the Baltic may have drastic ramifications for Baltic seafloor ecosystems.
Luc Beaufort, Yves Gally, Baptiste Suchéras-Marx, Patrick Ferrand, and Julien Duboisset
Biogeosciences, 18, 775–785, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-775-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-775-2021, 2021
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The coccoliths are major contributors to the particulate inorganic carbon in the ocean. They are extremely difficult to weigh because they are too small to be manipulated. We propose a universal method to measure thickness and weight of fine calcite using polarizing microscopy that does not require fine-tuning of the light or a calibration process. This method named "bidirectional circular polarization" uses two images taken with two directions of a circular polarizer.
Anna Piwoni-Piórewicz, Stanislav Strekopytov, Emma Humphreys-Williams, and Piotr Kukliński
Biogeosciences, 18, 707–728, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-707-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-707-2021, 2021
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Calcifying organisms occur globally in almost every environment, and the process of biomineralization is of great importance in the global carbon cycle and use of skeletons as environmental data archives. The composition of skeletons is very complex. It is determined by the mechanisms of biological control on biomineralization and the response of calcifying organisms to varying environmental drivers. Yet for trace elements, such as Cu, Pb and Cd, an impact of environmental factors is pronounced.
Siham de Goeyse, Alice E. Webb, Gert-Jan Reichart, and Lennart J. de Nooijer
Biogeosciences, 18, 393–401, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-393-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-393-2021, 2021
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Foraminifera are calcifying organisms that play a role in the marine inorganic-carbon cycle and are widely used to reconstruct paleoclimates. However, the fundamental process by which they calcify remains essentially unknown. Here we use inhibitors to show that an enzyme is speeding up the conversion between bicarbonate and CO2. This helps the foraminifera acquire sufficient carbon for calcification and might aid their tolerance to elevated CO2 level.
Anne Roepert, Lubos Polerecky, Esmee Geerken, Gert-Jan Reichart, and Jack J. Middelburg
Biogeosciences, 17, 4727–4743, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-4727-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-4727-2020, 2020
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We investigated, for the first time, the spatial distribution of chlorine and fluorine in the shell walls of four benthic foraminifera species: Ammonia tepida, Amphistegina lessonii, Archaias angulatus, and Sorites marginalis. Cross sections of specimens were imaged using nanoSIMS. The distribution of Cl and F was co-located with organics in the rotaliids and rather homogeneously distributed in miliolids. We suggest that the incorporation is governed by the biomineralization pathway.
Vincent Mouchi, Camille Godbillot, Vianney Forest, Alexey Ulianov, Franck Lartaud, Marc de Rafélis, Laurent Emmanuel, and Eric P. Verrecchia
Biogeosciences, 17, 2205–2217, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-2205-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-2205-2020, 2020
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Rare earth elements (REEs) in coastal seawater are included in bivalve shells during growth, and a regional fingerprint can be defined for provenance and environmental monitoring studies. We present a large dataset of REE abundances from oysters from six locations in France. The cupped oyster can be discriminated from one locality to another, but this is not the case for the flat oyster. Therefore, provenance studies using bivalve shells based on REEs are not adapted for the flat oyster.
Rosie L. Oakes and Jocelyn A. Sessa
Biogeosciences, 17, 1975–1990, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-1975-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-1975-2020, 2020
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Pteropods are a group of tiny swimming snails whose fragile shells put them at risk from ocean acidification. We investigated the factors influencing the thickness of pteropods shells in the Cariaco Basin, off Venezuela, which is unaffected by ocean acidification. We found that pteropods formed thicker shells when nutrient concentrations, an indicator of food availability, were highest, indicating that food may be an important factor in mitigating the effects of ocean acidification on pteropods.
Miguel Gómez Batista, Marc Metian, François Oberhänsli, Simon Pouil, Peter W. Swarzenski, Eric Tambutté, Jean-Pierre Gattuso, Carlos M. Alonso Hernández, and Frédéric Gazeau
Biogeosciences, 17, 887–899, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-887-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-887-2020, 2020
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In this paper, we assessed four methods (total alkalinity anomaly, calcium anomaly, 45Ca incorporation, and 13C incorporation) to determine coral calcification of a reef-building coral. Under all conditions (light vs. dark incubations and ambient vs. lowered pH levels), calcification rates estimated using the alkalinity and calcium anomaly techniques as well as 45Ca incorporation were highly correlated, while significantly different results were obtained with the 13C incorporation technique.
Alan Marron, Lucie Cassarino, Jade Hatton, Paul Curnow, and Katharine R. Hendry
Biogeosciences, 16, 4805–4813, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-4805-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-4805-2019, 2019
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Isotopic signatures of silica fossils can be used as archives of past oceanic silicon cycling, which is linked to marine carbon uptake. However, the biochemistry that lies behind such chemical fingerprints remains poorly understood. We present the first measurements of silicon isotopes in a group of protists closely related to animals, choanoflagellates. Our results highlight a taxonomic basis to silica isotope signatures, possibly via a shared transport pathway in choanoflagellates and animals.
Laura M. Otter, Oluwatoosin B. A. Agbaje, Matt R. Kilburn, Christoph Lenz, Hadrien Henry, Patrick Trimby, Peter Hoppe, and Dorrit E. Jacob
Biogeosciences, 16, 3439–3455, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-3439-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-3439-2019, 2019
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This study uses strontium as a trace elemental marker in combination with high-resolution nano-analytical techniques to label the growth fronts of bivalves in controlled aquaculture conditions. The growing shells incorporate the labels and are used as
snapshotsvisualizing the growth processes across different shell architectures. These observations are combined with structural investigations across length scales and altogether allow for a detailed understanding of this shell.
Andrew C. Mitchell, Erika J. Espinosa-Ortiz, Stacy L. Parks, Adrienne J. Phillips, Alfred B. Cunningham, and Robin Gerlach
Biogeosciences, 16, 2147–2161, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-2147-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-2147-2019, 2019
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Microbially induced carbonate mineral precipitation (MICP) is a natural process that is also being investigated for subsurface engineering applications including radionuclide immobilization and microfracture plugging. We demonstrate that rates of MICP from microbial urea hydrolysis (ureolysis) vary with different bacterial strains, but rates are similar in both oxygenated and oxygen-free conditions. Ureolysis MICP is therefore a viable biotechnology in the predominately oxygen-free subsurface.
Inge van Dijk, Christine Barras, Lennart Jan de Nooijer, Aurélia Mouret, Esmee Geerken, Shai Oron, and Gert-Jan Reichart
Biogeosciences, 16, 2115–2130, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-2115-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-2115-2019, 2019
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Systematics in the incorporation of different elements in shells of marine organisms can be used to test calcification models and thus processes involved in precipitation of calcium carbonates. On different scales, we observe a covariation of sulfur and magnesium incorporation in shells of foraminifera, which provides insights into the mechanics behind shell formation. The observed patterns imply that all species of foraminifera actively take up calcium and carbon in a coupled process.
Eveline M. Mezger, Lennart J. de Nooijer, Jacqueline Bertlich, Jelle Bijma, Dirk Nürnberg, and Gert-Jan Reichart
Biogeosciences, 16, 1147–1165, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-1147-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-1147-2019, 2019
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Seawater salinity is an important factor when trying to reconstruct past ocean conditions. Foraminifera, small organisms living in the sea, produce shells that incorporate more Na at higher salinities. The accuracy of reconstructions depends on the fundamental understanding involved in the incorporation and preservation of the original Na of the shell. In this study, we unravel the Na composition of different components of the shell and describe the relative contribution of these components.
Hengchao Xu, Xiaotong Peng, Shijie Bai, Kaiwen Ta, Shouye Yang, Shuangquan Liu, Ho Bin Jang, and Zixiao Guo
Biogeosciences, 16, 949–960, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-949-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-949-2019, 2019
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Viruses have been acknowledged as important components of the marine system for the past 2 decades, but understanding of their role in the functioning of the geochemical cycle remains poor. Results show viral lysis of cyanobacteria can influence the carbonate equilibrium system remarkably and promotes the formation and precipitation of carbonate minerals. Amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) and aragonite are evident in the lysate, implying that different precipitation processes have occurred.
Nicole M. J. Geerlings, Eva-Maria Zetsche, Silvia Hidalgo-Martinez, Jack J. Middelburg, and Filip J. R. Meysman
Biogeosciences, 16, 811–829, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-811-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-811-2019, 2019
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Multicellular cable bacteria form long filaments that can reach lengths of several centimeters. They affect the chemistry and mineralogy of their surroundings and vice versa. How the surroundings affect the cable bacteria is investigated. They show three different types of biomineral formation: (1) a polymer containing phosphorus in their cells, (2) a sheath of clay surrounding the surface of the filament and (3) the encrustation of a filament via a solid phase containing iron and phosphorus.
Facheng Ye, Hana Jurikova, Lucia Angiolini, Uwe Brand, Gaia Crippa, Daniela Henkel, Jürgen Laudien, Claas Hiebenthal, and Danijela Šmajgl
Biogeosciences, 16, 617–642, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-617-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-617-2019, 2019
Yukiko Nagai, Katsuyuki Uematsu, Chong Chen, Ryoji Wani, Jarosław Tyszka, and Takashi Toyofuku
Biogeosciences, 15, 6773–6789, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-6773-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-6773-2018, 2018
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We interpret detailed SEM and time-lapse observations of the calcification process in living foraminifera, which we reveal to be directly linked to the construction mechanism of organic membranes where the calcium carbonate precipitation takes place. We show that these membranes are a highly perforated outline is first woven by skeletal pseudopodia and then later overlaid by a layer of membranous pseudopodia to close the gaps. The chemical composition is related to these structures.
Agathe Martignier, Montserrat Filella, Kilian Pollok, Michael Melkonian, Michael Bensimon, François Barja, Falko Langenhorst, Jean-Michel Jaquet, and Daniel Ariztegui
Biogeosciences, 15, 6591–6605, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-6591-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-6591-2018, 2018
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The unicellular microalga Tetraselmis cordiformis (Chlorophyta) was recently discovered to form intracellular mineral inclusions, called micropearls, which had been previously overlooked. The present study shows that 10 Tetraselmis species out of the 12 tested share this biomineralization capacity, producing amorphous calcium carbonate inclusions often enriched in Sr. This novel biomineralization process can take place in marine, brackish or freshwater and is therefore a widespread phenomenon.
Ulrike Braeckman, Felix Janssen, Gaute Lavik, Marcus Elvert, Hannah Marchant, Caroline Buckner, Christina Bienhold, and Frank Wenzhöfer
Biogeosciences, 15, 6537–6557, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-6537-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-6537-2018, 2018
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Global warming has altered Arctic phytoplankton communities, with unknown effects on deep-sea communities that depend strongly on food produced at the surface. We compared the responses of Arctic deep-sea benthos to input of phytodetritus from diatoms and coccolithophorids. Coccolithophorid carbon was 5× less recycled than diatom carbon. The utilization of the coccolithophorid carbon may be less efficient, so a shift from diatom to coccolithophorid blooms could entail a delay in carbon cycling.
Hongrui Zhang, Heather Stoll, Clara Bolton, Xiaobo Jin, and Chuanlian Liu
Biogeosciences, 15, 4759–4775, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-4759-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-4759-2018, 2018
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The sinking speeds of coccoliths are relevant for laboratory methods to separate coccoliths for geochemical analysis. However, in the absence of estimates of coccolith settling velocity, previous implementations have depended mainly on time-consuming method development by trial and error. In this study, the sinking velocities of cocooliths were carefully measured for the first time. We also provide an estimation of coccolith sinking velocity by shape, which will make coccolith separation easier.
Justin Michael Whitaker, Sai Vanapalli, and Danielle Fortin
Biogeosciences, 15, 4367–4380, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-4367-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-4367-2018, 2018
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Materials, like soils or cements, can require repair. This study used a new bacterium (Sporosarcina ureae) in a repair method called "microbially induced carbonate precipitation" (MICP). In three trials, benefits were shown: S. ureae could make a model sandy soil much stronger by MICP, in fact better than a lot of other bacteria. However, MICP-treated samples got weaker in three trials of acid rain. In conclusion, S. ureae in MICP repair shows promise when used in appropriate climates.
Esmee Geerken, Lennart Jan de Nooijer, Inge van Dijk, and Gert-Jan Reichart
Biogeosciences, 15, 2205–2218, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-2205-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-2205-2018, 2018
Jörn Thomsen, Kirti Ramesh, Trystan Sanders, Markus Bleich, and Frank Melzner
Biogeosciences, 15, 1469–1482, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-1469-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-1469-2018, 2018
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The distribution of mussel in estuaries is limited but the mechanisms are not well understood. We document for the first time that reduced Ca2+ concentration in the low saline, brackish Baltic Sea affects the ability of mussel larvae to calcify the first larval shell. As complete formation of the shell is a prerequisite for successful development, impaired calcification during this sensitive life stage can have detrimental effects on the species' ability to colonize habitats.
Sha Ni, Isabelle Taubner, Florian Böhm, Vera Winde, and Michael E. Böttcher
Biogeosciences, 15, 1425–1445, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-1425-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-1425-2018, 2018
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Spirorbis tube worms are common epibionts on brown algae in the Baltic Sea. We made experiments with Spirorbis in the
Kiel Outdoor Benthocosmsat CO2 and temperature conditions predicted for the year 2100. The worms were able to grow tubes even at CO2 levels favouring shell dissolution but did not survive at mean temperatures over 24° C. This indicates that Spirorbis worms will suffer from future excessive ocean warming and from ocean acidification fostering corrosion of their protective tubes.
Andrea C. Gerecht, Luka Šupraha, Gerald Langer, and Jorijntje Henderiks
Biogeosciences, 15, 833–845, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-833-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-833-2018, 2018
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Calcifying phytoplankton play an import role in long-term CO2 removal from the atmosphere. We therefore studied the ability of a representative species to continue sequestrating CO2 under future climate conditions. We show that CO2 sequestration is negatively affected by both an increase in temperature and the resulting decrease in nutrient availability. This will impact the biogeochemical cycle of carbon and may have a positive feedback on rising CO2 levels.
Merinda C. Nash and Walter Adey
Biogeosciences, 15, 781–795, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-781-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-781-2018, 2018
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Past seawater temperatures can be reconstructed using magnesium / calcium ratios of biogenic carbonates. As temperature increases, so does magnesium. Here we show that for these Arctic/subarctic coralline algae, anatomy is the first control on Mg / Ca, not temperature. When using coralline algae for temperature reconstruction, it is first necessary to check for anatomical influences on Mg / Ca.
Thomas M. DeCarlo, Juan P. D'Olivo, Taryn Foster, Michael Holcomb, Thomas Becker, and Malcolm T. McCulloch
Biogeosciences, 14, 5253–5269, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-5253-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-5253-2017, 2017
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We present a new technique to quantify the chemical conditions under which corals build their skeletons by analysing them with lasers at a very fine resolution, down to 1/100th the width of a human hair. Our first applications to laboratory-cultured and wild corals demonstrates the complex interplay among seawater conditions (temperature and acidity), calcifying fluid chemistry, and bulk skeleton accretion, which will define the sensitivity of coral calcification to 21st century climate change.
Giulia Faucher, Linn Hoffmann, Lennart T. Bach, Cinzia Bottini, Elisabetta Erba, and Ulf Riebesell
Biogeosciences, 14, 3603–3613, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-3603-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-3603-2017, 2017
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The main goal of this study was to understand if, similarly to the fossil record, high quantities of toxic metals induce coccolith dwarfism in coccolithophore species. We investigated, for the first time, the effects of trace metals on coccolithophore species other than E. huxleyi and on coccolith morphology and size. Our data show a species-specific sensitivity to trace metal concentration, allowing the recognition of the most-, intermediate- and least-tolerant taxa to trace metal enrichments.
Lennart J. de Nooijer, Anieke Brombacher, Antje Mewes, Gerald Langer, Gernot Nehrke, Jelle Bijma, and Gert-Jan Reichart
Biogeosciences, 14, 3387–3400, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-3387-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-3387-2017, 2017
Michael J. Henehan, David Evans, Madison Shankle, Janet E. Burke, Gavin L. Foster, Eleni Anagnostou, Thomas B. Chalk, Joseph A. Stewart, Claudia H. S. Alt, Joseph Durrant, and Pincelli M. Hull
Biogeosciences, 14, 3287–3308, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-3287-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-3287-2017, 2017
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It is still unclear whether foraminifera (calcifying plankton that play an important role in cycling carbon) will have difficulty in making their shells in more acidic oceans, with different studies often reporting apparently conflicting results. We used live lab cultures, mathematical models, and fossil measurements to test this question, and found low pH does reduce calcification. However, we find this response is likely size-dependent, which may have obscured this response in other studies.
Chris H. Crosby and Jake V. Bailey
Biogeosciences, 14, 2151–2154, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-2151-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-2151-2017, 2017
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In the course of experiments exploring the formation of calcium phosphate minerals in a polymeric matrix, we developed a small-scale, reusable, and low-cost setup that allows microscopic observation over time for use in mineral precipitation experiments that use organic polymers as a matrix. The setup uniquely accommodates changes in solution chemistry during the course of an experiment and facilitates easy harvesting of the precipitates for subsequent analysis.
Rosie M. Sheward, Alex J. Poulton, Samantha J. Gibbs, Chris J. Daniels, and Paul R. Bown
Biogeosciences, 14, 1493–1509, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-1493-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-1493-2017, 2017
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Our culture experiments on modern Coccolithophores find that physiology regulates shifts in the geometry of their carbonate shells (coccospheres) between growth phases. This provides a tool to access growth information in modern and past populations. Directly comparing modern species with fossil coccospheres derives a new proxy for investigating the physiology that underpins phytoplankton responses to environmental change through geological time.
Inge van Dijk, Lennart J. de Nooijer, and Gert-Jan Reichart
Biogeosciences, 14, 497–510, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-497-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-497-2017, 2017
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Culturing foraminifera under controlled pCO2 conditions shows that incorporation of certain elements (Zn, Ba) into foraminiferal shells is impacted by the inorganic carbonate system. Modeling the chemical speciation of these elements suggests that incorporation is determined by the availability of free ions. Furthermore, analyzing and comparing trends in element incorporation in hyaline and porcelaneous species may provide constrains on the differences between their calcification strategies.
Ella L. Howes, Karina Kaczmarek, Markus Raitzsch, Antje Mewes, Nienke Bijma, Ingo Horn, Sambuddha Misra, Jean-Pierre Gattuso, and Jelle Bijma
Biogeosciences, 14, 415–430, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-415-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-415-2017, 2017
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To calculate the seawater carbonate system, proxies for 2 out of 7 parameters are required. The boron isotopic composition of foraminifera shells can be used as a proxy for pH and it has been suggested that B / Ca ratios may act as a proxy for carbonate ion concentration. However, differentiating between the effects of pH and [CO32−] is problematic, as they co-vary in natural systems. To deconvolve the effects, we conducted culture experiments with the planktonic foraminifer Orbulina universa.
Merinda C. Nash, Sophie Martin, and Jean-Pierre Gattuso
Biogeosciences, 13, 5937–5945, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-5937-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-5937-2016, 2016
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We carried out a 1-year experiment on coralline algae to test how higher CO2 and temperature might change the mineral composition of the algal skeleton. We expected there to be a decline in magnesium with CO2 and an increase with temperature. We found that CO2 did not change the mineral composition, but higher temperature increased the amount of magnesium.
Anaid Rosas-Navarro, Gerald Langer, and Patrizia Ziveri
Biogeosciences, 13, 2913–2926, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-2913-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-2913-2016, 2016
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The global warming debate has sparked an unprecedented interest in temperature effects on coccolithophores. We show that sub-optimal growth temperatures lead to an increase in malformed coccoliths in a strain-specific fashion and the inorganic / organic carbon has a minimum at optimum growth temperature. Global warming might cause a decline in coccoliths' inorganic carbon contribution to the "rain ratio", as well as improved fitness in some genotypes by reducing coccolith malformation.
T. Foster and P. L. Clode
Biogeosciences, 13, 1717–1722, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-1717-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-1717-2016, 2016
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In recent years much research has focussed on whether corals will be able to build their skeletons under predicted ocean acidification. One strategy corals may employ is changing the mineralogy of their skeletons from aragonite to the less soluble polymorph of calcium carbonate; calcite. Here we show that newly settled coral recruits are unable to produce calcite in their skeletons under near-future elevations in pCO2, which may leave them more vulnerable to ocean acidification.
Anne Alexandre, Jérôme Balesdent, Patrick Cazevieille, Claire Chevassus-Rosset, Patrick Signoret, Jean-Charles Mazur, Araks Harutyunyan, Emmanuel Doelsch, Isabelle Basile-Doelsch, Hélène Miche, and Guaciara M. Santos
Biogeosciences, 13, 1693–1703, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-1693-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-1693-2016, 2016
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This 13C labeling experiment demonstrates that carbon can be absorbed by the roots, translocated in the plant, and ultimately fixed in organic compounds subject to occlusion in silica particles that form inside plant cells (phytoliths). Plausible forms of carbon absorbed, translocated, and fixed in phytoliths are assessed. Implications for our understanding of the C cycle at the plant-soil-atmosphere interface are discussed.
M. Wall, F. Ragazzola, L. C. Foster, A. Form, and D. N. Schmidt
Biogeosciences, 12, 6869–6880, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-6869-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-6869-2015, 2015
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We investigated the ability of cold-water corals to deal with changes in ocean pH. We uniquely combined morphological assessment with boron isotope analysis to determine if changes in growth are related to changes in control of calcification pH. We found that the cold-water coral Lophelia pertusa can maintain the skeletal morphology, growth patterns as well as internal calcification pH. This has important implications for their future occurrence and explains their cosmopolitan distribution.
J. F. Mori, T. R. Neu, S. Lu, M. Händel, K. U. Totsche, and K. Küsel
Biogeosciences, 12, 5277–5289, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-5277-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-5277-2015, 2015
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We studied filamentous macroscopic algae growing in metal-rich stream water that leaked from a former uranium-mining district. These algae were encrusted with Fe-deposits that were associated with microbes, mainly Gallionella-related Fe-oxidizing bacteria, and extracellular polymeric substances. Algae with a lower number of chloroplasts often exhibited discontinuous series of precipitates, likely due to the intercalary growth of algae which allowed them to avoid detrimental encrustation.
M. C. Nash, S. Uthicke, A. P. Negri, and N. E. Cantin
Biogeosciences, 12, 5247–5260, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-5247-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-5247-2015, 2015
L. T. Bach
Biogeosciences, 12, 4939–4951, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-4939-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-4939-2015, 2015
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Calcification by marine organisms reacts to changing seawater carbonate chemistry, but it is unclear which components of the carbonate system drive the observed response. This study uncovers proportionalities between different carbonate chemistry parameters. These enable us to understand why calcification often correlates well with carbonate ion concentration, and they imply that net CaCO3 formation in high latitudes is not more vulnerable to ocean acidification than formation in low latitudes.
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Short summary
Unique and spectacular under water speleothems termed as Hells Bells were recently reported from sinkholes (cenotes) of the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico. However, the mystery of their formation remained unresolved. Here, we present detailed geochemical analyses and delineate that the growth of Hells Bells results from a combination of biogeochemical processes and variable hydraulic conditions within the cenote.
Unique and spectacular under water speleothems termed as Hells Bells were recently reported from...
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