Accomplishment Based Renewal: Experimental Verification of Stable Isotope and Trace Metal Incorporation in Living Planktonic Foraminifera

University Of California-Davis, Davis CA

Investigators

Abstract

A researcher at the University of California at Davis proposes to collect living planktonic foraminifera and culture collected individuals using procedures established during prior funding periods. Once the foraminifera has calcified its shell under controlled conditions, the shells and culture water sample will be collected for geochemical analysis. These shells and water samples will be used to complete on-going geochemical experiments, conduct calibration experiments with new proxies (e.g., Li/Ca, Zn/Ca, 7Li, U/Ca), study the mechanisms of planktonic foraminifera calcification and shell geochemical variability that occurs during shell calcification and explore new geochemical relationships (i.e., the impact of different seawater Mg and Ca concentrations on shell geochemistry) and proxies using living planktonic foraminifera. The information gathered from this research will calibrate new and existing geochemical proxies with a level of confidence that cannot be obtained on planktonic species when using alternative approaches, such as sediment trap or core-top studies. This work will provide an unparalleled opportunity to gain insight into the processes of biomineralization and geochemical variation at the microscale, and provide a data set that can be used to understand the impact of changing seawater chemistry on foraminifera shell geochemistry. This will allow researchers to better interpret data from the fossil record. As regards broader impacts, this study will ensure that a group of graduate students and post-docs from various institutions be trained by the PI and other experts in the field on the procedures for collecting and culturing these planktonic organisms, thereby ensuring that these techniques are passed on to the next generation of scientists. Undergraduate students will be involved in the field component of this research.