A global compilation of coccolithophore calcification rates

• Published in: Earth System Science Data
• Main Authors: Daniels, Chris J., Cermeño, Pedro, Tyrrell, Toby
• Other Authors: Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (España), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (US), National Science Foundation (US), Natural Environment Research Council (UK)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: Copernicus Publications 2018
• Subjects: Arctic; Indian; Pacific
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10261/172716; https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-10-1859-2018; https://doi.org/10.13039/100000104; https://doi.org/10.13039/100000001; https://doi.org/10.13039/501100000270; https://doi.org/10.13039/501100003329

18 pages, 8 figures, 1 table, 1 appendix, database is available for download from PANGAEA at https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.888182 The biological production of calcium carbonate (CaCO3), a process termed calcification, is a key term in the marine carbon cycle. A major planktonic group responsible for such pelagic CaCO3 production (CP) is the coccolithophores, single-celled haptophytes that inhabit the euphotic zone of the ocean. Satellite-based estimates of areal CP are limited to surface waters and open-ocean areas, with current algorithms utilising the unique optical properties of the cosmopolitan bloom-forming species Emiliania huxleyi, whereas little understanding of deep-water ecology, optical properties or environmental responses by species other than E. huxleyi is currently available to parameterise algorithms or models. To aid future areal estimations and validate future modelling efforts we have constructed a database of 2765CP measurements, the majority of which were measured using 12 to 24h incorporation of radioactive carbon (14C) into acid-labile inorganic carbon (CaCO3). We present data collated from over 30 studies covering the period from 1991 to 2015, sampling the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Arctic and Southern oceans. Globally, CP in surface waters ( < 20m) ranged from 0.01 to 8398µmolCm−3d−1 (with a geometric mean of 16.1µmolCm−3d−1). An integral value for the upper euphotic zone (herein surface to the depth of 1% surface irradiance) ranged from < 0.1 to 6mmolCm−2d−1 (geometric mean 1.19mmolCm−2d−1) The authors also recognise funding from the UK Natural Environmental Research Council (NERC), the US National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation Peer Reviewed