Coccolithophores

This comprehensive book looks at coccolithophores - one of the primary algal groups in the oceans.

Amos Winter (Edited by), William G. Siesser (Edited by)

9780521031691, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 23 November 2006

256 pages, 230 b/w illus. 10 tables
27.7 x 20.8 x 1.3 cm, 0.598 kg

'… magnificent book … many excellent illustrations …' Marine Geology

Coccolithophores are one of the primary algal groups in the oceans. They are the focus of research in many disciplines due to their importance in palaeoenvironmental 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. The book concludes with a chapter on geochemical tracers, and the implication of these studies for stratigraphy and palaeoenvironmental 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 and William G. Siesser
8. Biogeography of living coccolithophores in ocean waters Amos Winter, Ric W. Jordan and Peter H. Roth
9. Sedimentation of coccolithophores John C. Steinmetz
10. Distribution of coccoliths in oceanic sediments Peter H. Roth
11. Stable isotopes in modern coccolithophores John C. Steinmetz
Index.

Subject Areas: Palaeontology [RBX]