Coccolithophores [Paperback]

This comprehensive book looks at coccolithophores - one of the primary algal groups in the oceans.Coccolithophores are one of the primary algal groups in the oceans. Through a series of contributions from key workers in the field the reader will be able to identify coccolithophores and use this guide as an excellent reference source.Coccolithophores are one of the primary algal groups in the oceans. Through a series of contributions from key workers in the field the reader will be able to identify coccolithophores and use this guide as an excellent reference source.Coccolithophores are one of the primary algal groups in the oceans. They are the focus of recent research in many disciplines because of their importance in paleoenvironmental reconstruction and stratigraphy. The book starts with a history of coccolithophore studies, followed by chapters discussing coccolithophore biology, and the composition, function, and classification of their skeletal elements. At the heart of the book are taxonomic and atlas chapters with 140 scanning electron micrographs of coccolithophore species. Through a series of contributions from key workers in the field, the reader can then follow the path of the organisms from the ocean surface, through the water column to the ocean floor and the addition to the sedimentary rock record. The book concludes with a chapter on geochemical tracers, and the implication of these studies for stratigraphy and paleoenvironmental change.Contributors; Preface; 1. Historical background of coccolithophore studies William G. Siesser; 2. Ultrastructure and calcification of coccolithophores Richard N. Pienaar; 3. Physiological ecology of marine coccolithophores Larry E. Brand; 4. Composition and morphology of coccolithophore skeletons William G. Siesser and Amos Winter; 5. Function of coccoliths Jeremy R. Young; 6. A classification system for living coccolithophores Ric W. Jordan and Annelies Kleijne; 7. Atlas of living coccolithophores Amos Winter al“.