Coccolithophores are unicellular, eukaryotic phytoplankton belonging to the kingdom Protista or Chromista phylum Haptophyta, class Coccolithophyceau, and the botanical division of haptophytes. They are distinguished by special calcium carbonate plates of uncertain function called coccoliths,which are also important microfossils. Coccolithophores are almost exclusively marine and are found in large numbers throughout the euphotic zone of the ocean. The most abundant species of coccolithophore, Emiliana huxleyi, belongs to the order Isochrysidales and family Noëlaerhabdaceae. It is globally distributed in three of the five major latitudinal zones, This makes E.huxleyi an important part of the planktonic base of a large proportion of marine food webs. It is also the fastest growing coccolithophore in laboratory cultures. It is studied for the extensive blooms it forms in nutrient depleted waters after the reformation of the summer thermocline and for its production of a group resistant alkenones commonly used by earth scientists as a means to estimate past sea surface temperatures. Coccolithophores are of particular interest to those studying global climate change because as ocean acidity increases, their coccoliths may become even more important as a carbon sink. Furthermore, management strategies are being employed to prevent eutrophication-related coccolithophore blooms, as these blooms lead to a decrease in nutrient flow to lower levels of the ocean. Wikipedia [ - ]

Coccolithophores are unicellular, eukaryotic phytoplankton belonging to the kingdom Protista or... [ + ]