Articles | Volume 18, issue 3
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-1161-2021
© Author(s) 2021. 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-18-1161-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
16 Feb 2021
Research article |
| 16 Feb 2021
| 16 Feb 2021
Haplo-diplontic life cycle expands coccolithophore niche
Joost de Vries
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
BRIDGE, School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, University Road, Bristol BS8 1SS, UK
Marine Biological Association, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB, UK
Fanny Monteiro
BRIDGE, School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, University Road, Bristol BS8 1SS, UK
Glen Wheeler
Marine Biological Association, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB, UK
Alex Poulton
The Lyell Centre for Earth & Marine Science & Technology, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4BA, UK
Jelena Godrijan
Division for Marine and Environmental Research, Ruđer Bošković
Institute, Bijenička cesta 54, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Federica Cerino
Oceanography Section, Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e di Geofisica Sperimentale – OGS, via Piccard 54, 34151 Trieste, Italy
Elisa Malinverno
Department of Earth and Environmenal Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 4, 20126 Milan, Italy
Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare – CoNISMa, Piazzale Flaminio 9, 00196 Rome, Italy
Gerald Langer
Marine Biological Association, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB, UK
Colin Brownlee
Marine Biological Association, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB, UK
School of Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK
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Short summary
Coccolithophores are important calcifying phytoplankton with an overlooked life cycle. We compile a global dataset of marine coccolithophore abundance to investigate the environmental characteristics of each life cycle phase. We find that both phases contribute to coccolithophore abundance and that their different environmental preference increases coccolithophore habitat. Accounting for the life cycle of coccolithophores is thus crucial for understanding their ecology and biogeochemical impact.
Coccolithophores are important calcifying phytoplankton with an overlooked life cycle. We...
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