Determining the Influence of Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement on Foraminifera Calcification, Distribution, and CaCO3 Production

PI: Laura Haynes, Vassar College
Start Year: 2023 | Duration: 3 years
Partners: Vassar College, NOAA’s Ocean Acidification Program (OAP) Atlantic Oceanographic & Meteorological Laboratory (AOML), Oregon State University 

Project Abstract:

To examine the effects of different materials used in ocean alkalinity enhancement on foraminifera, researchers will grow foraminifera in culture experiments and use advanced imaging techniques to examine the impact on calcification (shell building). They will test three materials: calcium carbonate, calcium hydroxide, and olivine. The research team anticipates that adding calcium-bearing minerals will increase foraminiferal calcification, reducing the effectiveness of ocean alkalinity enhancement, whereas adding magnesium-iron silicates will decrease calcification. The team will also investigate how respiration and shell chemistry of foraminifera respond to ocean alkalinity enhancement to understand changes in their physiology. The project will capture young tropical surface foraminifera as well as mid-latitude sediment-dwelling foraminifera to grow in the laboratory under different ocean alkalinity conditions. Results will help estimate global changes in the ocean’s calcium carbonate budget and its carbon dioxide absorption capacity under global ocean alkalinity enhancement scenarios.