Coccolithophore

A marine single-celled alga covered in microscopic calcium carbonate plates called coccoliths. Coccolithophores photosynthesize and influence ocean carbon cycling and the formation of chalk and limestone.

Coccolith: A microscopic calcium carbonate plate produced by a coccolithophore and arranged in a covering called a coccosphere. These plates give coccolithophores their defining appearance and become marine sediments when shed.
Coccolithogenesis: The cellular process by which coccolithophores produce and assemble coccoliths. It describes how the characteristic calcium carbonate plates are made.
Emiliania huxleyi: A widespread coccolithophore species that forms large blooms in the ocean and produces distinctive coccoliths. Its conspicuous blooms are among the best-known modern examples of coccolithophore abundance.
Coccolithophore biomonitoring: The use of coccolithophore abundance, species composition, or calcification to assess ocean conditions. Changes in their communities can indicate shifts in nutrients, temperature, and carbonate chemistry.
Coccolithophore response to ocean acidification: The effects of declining seawater pH and carbonate saturation on coccolithophore growth and calcification. Experiments show varied responses, making ecosystem-scale outcomes uncertain.
Coccosphere: The spherical covering formed by overlapping coccoliths around a coccolithophore cell. Its arrangement of plates distinguishes coccolithophores from other calcifying plankton.
Haplodiplontic life cycle: A life cycle in which an organism alternates between multicellular or unicellular haploid and diploid stages. Many coccolithophores alternate between life stages that differ in ploidy and calcification.
Coccolithophore bloom: A rapid increase in coccolithophore abundance that can make surface seawater appear milky or turquoise. Bloom events expose these normally microscopic organisms in satellite images.
Satellite ocean color: Remote sensing of ocean surface color to estimate properties such as phytoplankton abundance and water composition. Bright coccolithophore blooms scatter light and can be detected from space.
Coccolithophore response to climate change: Changes in coccolithophore distribution, abundance, and traits driven by climate-related ocean shifts. Warming, stratification, and changing nutrients may reorganize populations and bloom patterns.

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