Large-scale culturing of the subpolar foraminifera Globigerina bulloides reveals tolerance to a large range of environmental parameters associated to different life-strategies and an extended lifespan

• Published in: Journal of Plankton Research
• Main Authors: Sykes, Freya, Meilland, Julie, Westgård, Adele, Chalk, Thomas B., Chierici, Melissa, Foster, Gavin, Ezat, Mohamed
• Other Authors: Center for Marine Environmental Sciences Bremen (MARUM), Universität Bremen, Centre Européen de Recherche et d'Enseignement des Géosciences de l'Environnement (CEREGE), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Aix Marseille Université (AMU)-Collège de France (CdF (institution))-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), Institute of Marine Research Bergen (IMR), University of Bergen (UiB), Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel (GEOMAR)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2024
• Subjects: [SDV.BA.ZI]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Animal biology/Invertebrate Zoology; [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology; Nordic Seas
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-04702509; https://doi.org/10.1093/plankt/fbae029

International audience Abstract The subtropical to subpolar planktic foraminifera Globigerina bulloides is a calcifying marine protist, and one of the dominant foraminiferal species of the Nordic Seas. Previously, the relative abundance and shell geochemistry of fossil G. bulloides have been studied for palaeoceanographic reconstructions. There is however a lack of biological observations on the species and a poor understanding of its ecological tolerances, especially for high latitude genotypes. Here, we present observations from the first extensive culturing of G. bulloides under subpolar conditions, including the first low temperature (6–13°C) and variable salinity (30–38) experiments. Carbonate chemistry (pH and [CO32−]) was also manipulated. Experimental conditions were chosen to reflect a range of plausible past and future scenarios for the Nordic Seas. We found G. bulloides to be tolerant of environmental conditions well outside their optimal range (<10°C, salinity <33, pH <8). Observed life span was up to three months, which was attributed to a microalgal diet. Two alternative life strategies were employed, whereby individuals either experienced rapid growth and death, or a prolonged lifespan with minimal growth and death via slow decay. We posit this could help explain differences in geochemical signals recorded from different size fractions of fossil specimens used for palaeoceanographic reconstructions.