Feedback between Organisms and Oceans

3 Credits

Contact: Emanuela MATTIOLI

Objectives: to analyze and apprehend the feedbacks between major biological innovations, environmental conditions and biogeochemical cycles.

Methods: various examples from the literature will be shown, dealing with biological proxies (micro-organisms), molecular fossils and environmental geochemistry.

Contents :  

      • origin of planktonic organisms and its impact on the trophic chain.
      • origin of pelagic biocalcification and impact on modern ocean (vertical gradients of alkalinity and stable CCD).
      • origin of deep oceanic streams.
      • oxygen minimum zones across the time: interaction between productivity, preservation and circulation.
      • interaction between organisms and environments during extreme events.
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