Biomineralisation & Climate

How ocean warming and acidification alter the shells and skeletons of marine organisms — from foraminifera to rhodoliths.

Collaborating with palaeobiologists, this strand investigates how rising temperatures and ocean acidification affect the formation, structure, and mechanical properties of biological minerals. Work on benthic foraminifera has revealed that thermal stress can both reduce carbonate production and induce dwarfism — yet, counter-intuitively, some thermally stressed shells show increased structural integrity. Parallel studies on British rhodoliths examine environmental impacts on these ecologically important coralline algae. Understanding these mechanisms is critical for predicting how calcifying organisms will respond to a rapidly warming ocean.