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Protein biomass quantification of unbroken individual foraminifers using nano-spectrophotometry

Protein biomass quantification of unbroken individual foraminifers using nano-spectrophotometry
Protein biomass quantification of unbroken individual foraminifers using nano-spectrophotometry
The ecological role of foraminifers has been largely unknown partly owing to difficulties in determining their individual biomass, although foraminifers are abundant in surface marine sediments. The present study provides a reliable and inexpensive method for the quantification of the protein content of hard-shelled foraminifers as a measure of biomass while preserving the tests for later analyses (e.g. morphometry, stable isotopes), using nano-spectrophotometry. The protein biomass, is significantly correlated with size, and shell weight of Ammonia tepida (n = 102, p < 0.00001, R2 = 0.462, and n = 181, p < 0.00001, R2 = 0.855). Variability in the relation between test size and weight, and cell biomass may result from natural variability in horizontal and vertical microenvironments encompassing metabolic state, as well as variability in test morphometry and calcite mass (i.e. test weight). In turn, knowing the size- and species-specific biomass of foraminifers adds valuable information on the trophic and ecologic conditions of modern and ancient marine environments, in particular on the reconstruction of the regional palaeoproductivity and flux of organic matter.
1726-4170
3613-3623
Movellan, A.
ad566f69-63f6-4c6d-b3f8-fdb70e81694c
Schiebel, R.
e3ee9c3f-ae96-4523-8ec2-2ed7acdfb83a
Zubkov, M.V.
b1dfb3a0-bcff-430c-9031-358a22b50743
Smyth, A.
f437b432-7093-4c44-bad3-f73c2f3b453e
Howa, H.
491391a8-7cad-435d-8c8b-343381837306
Movellan, A.
ad566f69-63f6-4c6d-b3f8-fdb70e81694c
Schiebel, R.
e3ee9c3f-ae96-4523-8ec2-2ed7acdfb83a
Zubkov, M.V.
b1dfb3a0-bcff-430c-9031-358a22b50743
Smyth, A.
f437b432-7093-4c44-bad3-f73c2f3b453e
Howa, H.
491391a8-7cad-435d-8c8b-343381837306

Movellan, A., Schiebel, R., Zubkov, M.V., Smyth, A. and Howa, H. (2012) Protein biomass quantification of unbroken individual foraminifers using nano-spectrophotometry. Biogeosciences, 9 (9), 3613-3623. (doi:10.5194/bg-9-3613-2012).

Record type: Article

Abstract

The ecological role of foraminifers has been largely unknown partly owing to difficulties in determining their individual biomass, although foraminifers are abundant in surface marine sediments. The present study provides a reliable and inexpensive method for the quantification of the protein content of hard-shelled foraminifers as a measure of biomass while preserving the tests for later analyses (e.g. morphometry, stable isotopes), using nano-spectrophotometry. The protein biomass, is significantly correlated with size, and shell weight of Ammonia tepida (n = 102, p < 0.00001, R2 = 0.462, and n = 181, p < 0.00001, R2 = 0.855). Variability in the relation between test size and weight, and cell biomass may result from natural variability in horizontal and vertical microenvironments encompassing metabolic state, as well as variability in test morphometry and calcite mass (i.e. test weight). In turn, knowing the size- and species-specific biomass of foraminifers adds valuable information on the trophic and ecologic conditions of modern and ancient marine environments, in particular on the reconstruction of the regional palaeoproductivity and flux of organic matter.

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Published date: 2012
Organisations: Marine Biogeochemistry

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Local EPrints ID: 347780
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/347780
ISSN: 1726-4170
PURE UUID: d82cfeb1-43ed-47b4-a7eb-d0b25195c80b

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Date deposited: 30 Jan 2013 10:35
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 12:51

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Contributors

Author: A. Movellan
Author: R. Schiebel
Author: M.V. Zubkov
Author: A. Smyth
Author: H. Howa

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