Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Effects of Calcium, Strontium, and Magnesium on the Coccolithophorid Cricosphaera (Hymenomonas) carterae. I. Calcification

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Marine Biology

ISSN

0025-3162

Publication Date

1-20-1976

Abstract

The present investigation concerns the effects of calcium, strontium, and magnesium on calcification and mineralogy of the calcified bodies (coccoliths) of the coccolithophorid Cricosphaera (Hymenomonas) carterae. The capacity of cells to calcify in various concentrations of these ions was examined following preliminary decalcification in CO2. At a concentration of 10-2 M Ca, 75% of the cells formed coccoliths within 24 h and almost all cells were recalcified after 2 days. At 10-3 or 10-4 M Ca no recalcification occurred. However, with the addition of Sr to the Ca-deficient media, calcification took place as shown by observations of coccoliths and by analysis of Ca. The percentage of calcified cells increased with increasing concentrations of Sr. Strontium added to a Ca-deficient media was much more effective than an equivalent concentration of Ca. No Sr was deposited in the coccoliths. X-ray analysis demonstrated that calcite was deposited by cells in all concentrations of Ca and Sr at which calcification took place. At concentrations of Mg in the media from 0.0 to 4.2×10-2 M, the cells retained their ability to calcify, although calcification was markedly reduced in the absence of Mg. In low Mg concentrations (1.3×10-4 and 4.2×10-6 M), the coccoliths were 60% calcite and 40% aragonite, and in the absence of Mg, only calcite was formed.

DOI

10.1007/BF00390781

Volume

34

Issue

1

First Page

11

Last Page

16

Comments

©Springer-Verlag 1976

Additional Comments

U.S. Public Health Service Research grant #: DE-O1382-O6

This document is currently not available here.

Peer Reviewed

Find in your library

Share

COinS