A physicochemically-constrained seawater culturing system for production of benthic foraminifera

We present an apparatus and procedure for culturing deep-sea (i.e., bathyal) benthic foraminifera under physicochemically constrained conditions. A 1600-L recirculating culture system was constructed to contribute negligible trace metal contamination; the system was housed in an environmental room m...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Limnology and oceanography 2004-01, Vol.2, p.160-170
Main Authors: Hintz, J C, Chandler, GThomas, Bernhard, Joan M, McCorkle, Daniel C, Havach, Suzanne M, Blanks, Jessica K, Shaw, Timothy J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Foraminifera
Marine
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:We present an apparatus and procedure for culturing deep-sea (i.e., bathyal) benthic foraminifera under physicochemically constrained conditions. A 1600-L recirculating culture system was constructed to contribute negligible trace metal contamination; the system was housed in an environmental room maintained near in situ temperatures but at atmospheric pressure. Peristaltic pumps continuously circulated 3 mL seawater min super(1) from the reservoir to 9 to 12 culture chambers. A 2-mm-thick layer of high-purity clay-sized silica substrate was used to minimize the impact of sedimentary microhabitats. Physicochemical parameters (salinity, alkalinity, pH, temperature) varied 200 d in each experiment and produced up to 2,800 individuals per culture. The growth and reproduction of benthic foraminifera in a physicochemically constrained culture provide a new method for the experimentation and validation of geochemical proxies.
ISSN:0024-3590