Approaches to Study Living Foraminifera: Collection, Maintenance and Experimentation PDF
Preview Approaches to Study Living Foraminifera: Collection, Maintenance and Experimentation
Environmental Science Hiroshi Kitazato Joan M. Bernhard Editors Approaches to Study Living Foraminifera Collection, Maintenance and Experimentation E nvironmental Science and Engineering Environmental Science Series Editors Rod Allan Ulrich Förstner Wim Salomons F or further volumes: h ttp://www.springer.com/series/3234 H iroshi K itazato • J oan M . Bernhard E ditors A pproaches to Study Living Foraminifera C ollection, Maintenance and Experimentation E ditors H iroshi K itazato J oan M . Bernhard J apan Agency for Marine-Earth Science W oods Hole Oceanographic Institution and Technology M assachusetts, U SA K anagawa, J apan I SSN 1863-5520 ISSN 1863-5539 (electronic) ISBN 978-4-431-54387-9 ISBN 978-4-431-54388-6 (eBook) D OI 10.1007/978-4-431-54388-6 S pringer Tokyo Heidelberg New York Dordrecht London L ibrary of Congress Control Number: 2013955595 © Springer Japan 2 014 T his work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifi cally the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfi lms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. Exempted from this legal reservation are brief excerpts in connection with reviews or scholarly analysis or material supplied specifi cally for the purpose of being entered and executed on a computer system, for exclusive use by the purchaser of the work. Duplication of this publication or parts thereof is permitted only under the provisions of the Copyright Law of the Publisher’s location, in its current version, and permission for use must always be obtained from Springer. Permissions for use may be obtained through RightsLink at the Copyright Clearance Center. Violations are liable to prosecution under the respective Copyright Law. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specifi c statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. W hile the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication, neither the authors nor the editors nor the publisher can accept any legal responsibility for any errors or omissions that may be made. The publisher makes no warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein. P rinted on acid-free paper S pringer is part of Springer Science+Business Media (www.springer.com) P refa ce F oraminifera are eukaryotic micro-organisms that are mainly distributed in oceanic environments. This protistan taxon plays a major role in nutrient cycling of the oce- anic hydrosphere and in biogeochemical cycling. Because these microbes sometimes compose more than 50 % of the biomass in the deep oceans as well as in some high- latitude settings, they are a key taxon in marine ecosystems. Foraminifera inhabit both the benthic and the pelagic realms. The skeletal component of foraminifera are referred to as tests (i.e., shells), which can be composed of calcium carbonate, agglu- tinated particles, or organic (non-mineralized) material secreted by the foraminifer. B ecause each foraminifer makes at least one test during its life cycle, foraminif- eral tests are commonly found in marine sediments. The majority of these tests can become preserved in marine sedimentary deposits. These shells are major compo- nents of marine strata. Fossil foraminifera, thus, have long been used, since the dawn of geological investigations. Foraminiferal index fossils are useful for both assigning geologic ages and reconstructing paleoenvironments of strata. In this con- text, an enormous amount of data has been accumulated in terms of modern forami- niferal distribution in the oceans and stratigraphic records of foraminifera during the Phanerozoic. D ata suggest that foraminifera may show rapid rates of morphological evolution through geologic time. From studies of modern environments, it also can be asserted that foraminifera are quite sensitive to environmental changes. Thus, interpretations of the fossil record can lend insights into paleobiology. However, we often lack the knowledge of living foraminiferal species to clearly understand the paleobiology of extinct species. D uring the early history of foraminiferal research, in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the natural history of foraminifera was well studied by naturalists from North America, South America, and Europe. After foraminifera were established as useful indicators for age determinations and paleoenvironmen- tal reconstruction of strata, research on foraminifera shifted to method development for both precise biochronology and paleoceanographic proxies using elemental v vi Preface compositions in their tests. Recently, isotopic and trace elements of foraminiferal tests are major tools used to interpret paleoceanographic records. While paleontological and paleoceanographic proxies of foraminifera were being developed, basic biological research on foraminifera was being conducted by biologists such as J. Le Calvez, Ernst Meyers, Esteban Boltovskoy, J. S. Bradshaw, Karl G. Grell, Zach Arnold, Alan Bé, and John J. Lee. They discovered and applied fundamental knowledge about the natural history of foraminifera. For instance, they established the life cycles, basic cell anatomy and physiology, food preferences, ecological niches, and other details on available species. They also developed cul- turing and observational techniques for working on living foraminifera. D uring these recent decades, particularly during the twenty-fi rst century, biologi- cal research on foraminifera has been expanding in the number of scientists involved as well as in the diversity of taxonomic groups of foraminifera being studied. Both laboratory and in situ experimental research are being conducted at laboratories worldwide. Some of these studies are being aided by the development of sophisti- cated culture systems. On the other hand, basic knowledge of the biological approaches has not been extensively shared among scientists who are working on living foraminifera. Sharing basic experiences among scientists from many differ- ent nationalities is critical in the development of cutting-edge collaborations to make progress in our science on living foraminifera. Technology and experience transfer from talented scientists to beginning investigators is also an important and effective means to propagate biological research of foraminifera on a global scale. W ith these backgrounds and concepts in mind, in July 2012, we carried out a fi eld workshop by convening scientists who investigate aspects of living foramin- ifera. The workshop was held in Japan, where diverse marine environments, from subtropical to subarctic oceanic realms and from intertidal/littoral to ultra-hadal depth ranges, exist around the Japanese Islands. Forty-fi ve scientists from 13 coun- tries and regions gathered in one place, collected, maintained, and observed living foraminifera, and discussed various research topics related to living planktic and benthic foraminifera for 1 week. We shared many facts and basic techniques about the biology of foraminifera through the workshop. In particular, we formed strong functional research networks among all attendees from around the world. The agenda of the workshop is included with this preface. Preface vii viii Preface Preface ix B ecause many researchers who wish to study living foraminifera typically begin with a geological and/or paleontological background rather than a biological back- ground, it can be diffi cult for some to begin working on living foraminifera. Also, due to foraminiferal small size and slow movements, it can be diffi cult to know how and where foraminifera are living, how they can be collected, and how they can be maintained in a healthy manner in the laboratory. On the occasion of this workshop, we planned to publish a book to facilitate sharing of basic knowledge about how to conduct research on living foraminifera in the fi eld and in the laboratory. This book is basically composed of papers by
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