Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2405
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2405
05 Aug 2024
 | 05 Aug 2024

What controls planktic foraminiferal calcification?

Ruby Barrett, Joost de Vries, and Daniela N. Schmidt

Abstract. Planktic foraminifera are key producers of pelagic carbonate, and their shell weight is suggested to represent the environment in which they calcify. However, there is debate about the use of size-normalised weight (SNW) as a proxy, as some authors invoke a carbonate system control on calcification (and by extension SNW as a pCO2 proxy), while others suggest that species optimum conditions, nutrient concentration, or temperature drive shell weight. To better understand its use as a proxy, we investigate what drives SNW and whether discrepancies in the proposed control on weight is due to differing data collection methodologies and/or regionally different drivers. We integrate new and published SNW data with environmental hindcast data extracted from the CMIP6 modelling suite. Using Bayesian regression modelling, we find that the environment alone cannot explain the variability in SNW across species. Although physiology likely modulates the response to the environment, we find little evidence of a unifying driver at the ecogroup-level. Instead, we identify species-specific responses associated with drivers including (but not limited to) the carbonate system, which are likely different between ocean basins. We hypothesise that this is partly influenced by cryptic species and regional phenotypic plasticity in not well understood changes to shell weight, such as the thickness of calcite deposited during some species’ reproductive phase. Consequently, which species to use as a pCO2 proxy or whether multiple species should be used in parallel to reduce uncertainty should be carefully considered. We strongly encourage the regional testing and calibration of pCO2 – SNW relationships.

Publisher's note: Copernicus Publications remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims made in the text, published maps, institutional affiliations, or any other geographical representation in this preprint. The responsibility to include appropriate place names lies with the authors.
Ruby Barrett, Joost de Vries, and Daniela N. Schmidt

Status: final response (author comments only)

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-2405', Brian Huber, 03 Sep 2024
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-2405', Anonymous Referee #2, 06 Sep 2024
  • RC3: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-2405', Pincelli Hull, 16 Sep 2024
Ruby Barrett, Joost de Vries, and Daniela N. Schmidt
Ruby Barrett, Joost de Vries, and Daniela N. Schmidt

Viewed

Total article views: 527 (including HTML, PDF, and XML)
HTML PDF XML Total Supplement BibTeX EndNote
264 94 169 527 58 9 11
  • HTML: 264
  • PDF: 94
  • XML: 169
  • Total: 527
  • Supplement: 58
  • BibTeX: 9
  • EndNote: 11
Views and downloads (calculated since 05 Aug 2024)
Cumulative views and downloads (calculated since 05 Aug 2024)

Viewed (geographical distribution)

Total article views: 531 (including HTML, PDF, and XML) Thereof 531 with geography defined and 0 with unknown origin.
Country # Views %
  • 1
1
 
 
 
 
Latest update: 08 Dec 2024
Download
Short summary
Planktic foraminifers are a plankton whose fossilised shell weight is used to reconstruct past environmental conditions such as seawater CO2. However, there is debate about whether other environmental drivers impact shell weight. Here we use a global data compilation and statistics to analyse what controls their weight. We find that the response varies between species and ocean basin, making it important to use regional calibrations and consider which species should be used to reconstruct CO2.