Calcification rate and temperature effects on Sr partitioning in coccoliths of multiple species of coccolithophorids in culture

Abstract

Five common placolith-bearing coccolithophorid algae— Gephyrocapsa oceanica, Coccolithus pelagicus, Calcidiscus leptoporus, Umbilicosphaera sibogae (var. sibogae and var. foliosa), and Emiliania huxleyi—were cultured to investigate controls on Sr partitioning in coccolith calcite. For identical temperature and media composition, Sr partitioning varies by more than 30% in exponential phase cultures of the five species and is linearly related to rates of calcite production/cell ( ρ=0.91). Exponential phase culture experiments with three strains of C. leptoporus and six strains of G. oceanica at varying temperatures show variations in Sr partitioning of 20% and 30%, respectively. With C. leptoporus, Sr partitioning is equally correlated with temperature and calcification rate ( ρ=0.8), which themselves are highly correlated; the slope of the relationship between D Sr and calcification rate is comparable to that observed in all species at constant temperature. However, in G. oceanica, increased temperature appears to enhance Sr incorporation by up to 2% to 1.6% °C −1 in the range of 15 to 30 °C. The strong influence of calcification rate on Sr partitioning may be useful for inferring past variations in coccolithophorid productivity from Sr partitioning in coccolith sediments if the influence of temperature on Sr partitioning can be resolved. Because the relationship between calcite production and Sr partitioning is linear, a proportional change in calcification should be expressed much more strongly in the Sr/Ca ratio of large species with rapid calcite production than in smaller species, which produce calcite more slowly. Consequently, it may be possible to separate temperature and calcification influences on coccolith Sr/Ca by separately analyzing Sr/Ca in species that produce calcite rapidly and those that produce calcite slowly, if both undergo comparable relative changes in calcification rates.