Coccolithophore Assemblage Dynamics and <i>Emiliania huxleyi</i> Morphological Patterns During Three Sampling Campaigns Between 2017 and 2019 in the South Aegean Sea (Greece, NE Mediterranean)
This study presents the living coccolithophore communities and the morphological variability of <i>Emiliania huxleyi</i> in the South Aegean Sea from three sampling regions during winter-early spring (March 2017, March 2019) and summer (August 2019). Emphasis is given to March 2017 to mo...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-07-01
|
| Series: | Geosciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/15/7/268 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1839615953313202176 |
|---|---|
| author | Patrick James F. Penales Elisavet Skampa Margarita D. Dimiza Constantine Parinos Dimitris Velaoras Alexandra Pavlidou Elisa Malinverno Alexandra Gogou Maria V. Triantaphyllou |
| author_facet | Patrick James F. Penales Elisavet Skampa Margarita D. Dimiza Constantine Parinos Dimitris Velaoras Alexandra Pavlidou Elisa Malinverno Alexandra Gogou Maria V. Triantaphyllou |
| author_sort | Patrick James F. Penales |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study presents the living coccolithophore communities and the morphological variability of <i>Emiliania huxleyi</i> in the South Aegean Sea from three sampling regions during winter-early spring (March 2017, March 2019) and summer (August 2019). Emphasis is given to March 2017 to monitor the variations in coccolithophore assemblages after an exceptionally cold event in December 2016, which resulted in newly produced dense waters that ventilated the Aegean deep basins. The assemblages displayed distinct seasonality with the predominance of <i>E. huxleyi</i> and <i>Syracosphaera molischii</i> during winter-early spring, associated with the water column mixing. By contrast, summer assemblages were featured by holococcolithophores and typical taxa of warm, oligotrophic upper waters. It seems that the phytoplanktonic succession as well as the nutrient supply to the upper euphotic layers were affected by the water column perturbation during the extreme winter of 2016–2017, which led to strong convective mixing and dense water formation. The decreased coccosphere densities during March 2017, accompanied by the notable presence of diatoms, were most probably associated with a prolonged diatom bloom, causing delay in the development of the coccolithophore community and resulting in a nitrogen-limited setting. <i>Emiliania huxleyi</i> morphometry showed the characteristic seasonal calcification trend of the Aegean, with the dominance of smaller coccoliths in the summer and increased coccolith length and width during the cold season. The intense cold conditions and wind-induced mixing during the winter of 2016–2017 possibly increased the absorption of atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> in surface waters, causing increased acidity and the subsequent presence of etched/undercalcified <i>E. huxleyi</i> coccoliths and other taxa, most probably implying in situ calcite dissolution. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c205d7f16688414cb7e7caa6ea0ffc15 |
| institution | Matheson Library |
| issn | 2076-3263 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geosciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-c205d7f16688414cb7e7caa6ea0ffc152025-07-25T13:24:10ZengMDPI AGGeosciences2076-32632025-07-0115726810.3390/geosciences15070268Coccolithophore Assemblage Dynamics and <i>Emiliania huxleyi</i> Morphological Patterns During Three Sampling Campaigns Between 2017 and 2019 in the South Aegean Sea (Greece, NE Mediterranean)Patrick James F. Penales0Elisavet Skampa1Margarita D. Dimiza2Constantine Parinos3Dimitris Velaoras4Alexandra Pavlidou5Elisa Malinverno6Alexandra Gogou7Maria V. Triantaphyllou8Faculty of Geology and Geoenvironment, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimioupolis, 15784 Athens, GreeceFaculty of Geology and Geoenvironment, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimioupolis, 15784 Athens, GreeceFaculty of Geology and Geoenvironment, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimioupolis, 15784 Athens, GreeceInstitute of Oceanography, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, P.O. Box 712, 19013 Anavyssos, GreeceInstitute of Oceanography, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, P.O. Box 712, 19013 Anavyssos, GreeceInstitute of Oceanography, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, P.O. Box 712, 19013 Anavyssos, GreeceDepartment of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milano, ItalyInstitute of Oceanography, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, P.O. Box 712, 19013 Anavyssos, GreeceFaculty of Geology and Geoenvironment, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimioupolis, 15784 Athens, GreeceThis study presents the living coccolithophore communities and the morphological variability of <i>Emiliania huxleyi</i> in the South Aegean Sea from three sampling regions during winter-early spring (March 2017, March 2019) and summer (August 2019). Emphasis is given to March 2017 to monitor the variations in coccolithophore assemblages after an exceptionally cold event in December 2016, which resulted in newly produced dense waters that ventilated the Aegean deep basins. The assemblages displayed distinct seasonality with the predominance of <i>E. huxleyi</i> and <i>Syracosphaera molischii</i> during winter-early spring, associated with the water column mixing. By contrast, summer assemblages were featured by holococcolithophores and typical taxa of warm, oligotrophic upper waters. It seems that the phytoplanktonic succession as well as the nutrient supply to the upper euphotic layers were affected by the water column perturbation during the extreme winter of 2016–2017, which led to strong convective mixing and dense water formation. The decreased coccosphere densities during March 2017, accompanied by the notable presence of diatoms, were most probably associated with a prolonged diatom bloom, causing delay in the development of the coccolithophore community and resulting in a nitrogen-limited setting. <i>Emiliania huxleyi</i> morphometry showed the characteristic seasonal calcification trend of the Aegean, with the dominance of smaller coccoliths in the summer and increased coccolith length and width during the cold season. The intense cold conditions and wind-induced mixing during the winter of 2016–2017 possibly increased the absorption of atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> in surface waters, causing increased acidity and the subsequent presence of etched/undercalcified <i>E. huxleyi</i> coccoliths and other taxa, most probably implying in situ calcite dissolution.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/15/7/268living coccolithophorescommunity structure<i>Emiliania huxleyi</i> coccolith morphologyAegean Sea dense water formation |
| spellingShingle | Patrick James F. Penales Elisavet Skampa Margarita D. Dimiza Constantine Parinos Dimitris Velaoras Alexandra Pavlidou Elisa Malinverno Alexandra Gogou Maria V. Triantaphyllou Coccolithophore Assemblage Dynamics and <i>Emiliania huxleyi</i> Morphological Patterns During Three Sampling Campaigns Between 2017 and 2019 in the South Aegean Sea (Greece, NE Mediterranean) Geosciences living coccolithophores community structure <i>Emiliania huxleyi</i> coccolith morphology Aegean Sea dense water formation |
| title | Coccolithophore Assemblage Dynamics and <i>Emiliania huxleyi</i> Morphological Patterns During Three Sampling Campaigns Between 2017 and 2019 in the South Aegean Sea (Greece, NE Mediterranean) |
| title_full | Coccolithophore Assemblage Dynamics and <i>Emiliania huxleyi</i> Morphological Patterns During Three Sampling Campaigns Between 2017 and 2019 in the South Aegean Sea (Greece, NE Mediterranean) |
| title_fullStr | Coccolithophore Assemblage Dynamics and <i>Emiliania huxleyi</i> Morphological Patterns During Three Sampling Campaigns Between 2017 and 2019 in the South Aegean Sea (Greece, NE Mediterranean) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Coccolithophore Assemblage Dynamics and <i>Emiliania huxleyi</i> Morphological Patterns During Three Sampling Campaigns Between 2017 and 2019 in the South Aegean Sea (Greece, NE Mediterranean) |
| title_short | Coccolithophore Assemblage Dynamics and <i>Emiliania huxleyi</i> Morphological Patterns During Three Sampling Campaigns Between 2017 and 2019 in the South Aegean Sea (Greece, NE Mediterranean) |
| title_sort | coccolithophore assemblage dynamics and i emiliania huxleyi i morphological patterns during three sampling campaigns between 2017 and 2019 in the south aegean sea greece ne mediterranean |
| topic | living coccolithophores community structure <i>Emiliania huxleyi</i> coccolith morphology Aegean Sea dense water formation |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/15/7/268 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT patrickjamesfpenales coccolithophoreassemblagedynamicsandiemilianiahuxleyiimorphologicalpatternsduringthreesamplingcampaignsbetween2017and2019inthesouthaegeanseagreecenemediterranean AT elisavetskampa coccolithophoreassemblagedynamicsandiemilianiahuxleyiimorphologicalpatternsduringthreesamplingcampaignsbetween2017and2019inthesouthaegeanseagreecenemediterranean AT margaritaddimiza coccolithophoreassemblagedynamicsandiemilianiahuxleyiimorphologicalpatternsduringthreesamplingcampaignsbetween2017and2019inthesouthaegeanseagreecenemediterranean AT constantineparinos coccolithophoreassemblagedynamicsandiemilianiahuxleyiimorphologicalpatternsduringthreesamplingcampaignsbetween2017and2019inthesouthaegeanseagreecenemediterranean AT dimitrisvelaoras coccolithophoreassemblagedynamicsandiemilianiahuxleyiimorphologicalpatternsduringthreesamplingcampaignsbetween2017and2019inthesouthaegeanseagreecenemediterranean AT alexandrapavlidou coccolithophoreassemblagedynamicsandiemilianiahuxleyiimorphologicalpatternsduringthreesamplingcampaignsbetween2017and2019inthesouthaegeanseagreecenemediterranean AT elisamalinverno coccolithophoreassemblagedynamicsandiemilianiahuxleyiimorphologicalpatternsduringthreesamplingcampaignsbetween2017and2019inthesouthaegeanseagreecenemediterranean AT alexandragogou coccolithophoreassemblagedynamicsandiemilianiahuxleyiimorphologicalpatternsduringthreesamplingcampaignsbetween2017and2019inthesouthaegeanseagreecenemediterranean AT mariavtriantaphyllou coccolithophoreassemblagedynamicsandiemilianiahuxleyiimorphologicalpatternsduringthreesamplingcampaignsbetween2017and2019inthesouthaegeanseagreecenemediterranean |