Coccolithophore phytoplankton Emiliania huxleyi and cells covering crystals of calcium carbonate—coccoliths. Credit: Hiroshima University
Coccolith disks made of calcium carbonate, formed by coccolithophores, which are single-celled algae such as E. huxleyi, one of the promising biomass resources reduces/ enhances light entering cells by light scattering. Elucidation of the physiological significance of coccolith formation can help promote efficient bioenergy production using microalgae.
The most important question concerning coccolith function is with regard to how they modulate solar light in the ocean, where huge blooms of E. huxleyi have frequently been observed as satellite images by SeaWiFS Color Senor from space...
Read More
Recent Comments