Gerardia : Bristlecone pine of the deep-sea?

Details Gerardia : Bristlecone pine of the deep-sea? Gerardia : Bristlecone pine of the deep-sea?

Dec 1995

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1995gecoa..59.5031d&link_type=abstract

Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, vol. 59, Issue 23, pp.5031-5036

Physics

6

Scientific paper

We measured carbon isotope abundances in the layered, proteinaceous skeleton of a zoanthid Gerardia collected from 620 m depth off the Little Bahama Bank (27°N, 79°W). The 14 C values decreased from -76% in the outer growth edge to an average of -267% in the center of three portions of the skeleton. These 14 C data suggest an age for this living organism of 1800 ± 300 years. The possibility that the large decrease in 14 C reflects the gradual input of bomb 14 C over the entire growth of the organism is inconsistent with the post-bomb 14 C values obtained for the most recent growth tips. If the age estimate of two millennia is correct, it may be the longest-lived animal yet observed in the ocean. Gerardia may serve as a long-lived recorder of ocean chemistry, similar to the Bristlecone pine tree that has served as a millennial-timescale recorder for atmospheric 14 CO 2 (Suess, 1980) and climate. In particular, there is potential for Gerardia to serve as a millennial-scale integrator of upper ocean particle flux, and possibly reveal past changes in the productivity of the surface ocean.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Gerardia : Bristlecone pine of the deep-sea? does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Gerardia : Bristlecone pine of the deep-sea?, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Gerardia : Bristlecone pine of the deep-sea? will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1261875