As a PhD candidate within the m-CONNECT consortium, I study the contribution of large benthic foraminifera to the sand supply of low-lying coral reef islands. By measuring how much carbonate sand foraminifera produce and whether that sand reaches the islands, my research helps us understand whether these islands can keep pace with rising sea levels.
Marine biology, foraminifera, coral reefs, climate change, Indo-Pacific, micro CT
Researchinterest
Foraminifera are single-celled organisms that build a shell, or test, of calcium carbonate; the larger species live on tropical reefs and in seagrass meadows and, like corals, host symbiotic algae inside their cell that supply them with energy. After they die, their tests make up a large part of the sand on beaches and reef islands.
Whether a low-lying coral reef island can keep pace with rising sea levels depends in part on two processes: how much carbonate sand is produced on the surrounding reef, and how much of that sand reaches the island. My research addresses both, with a focus on large benthic foraminifera, which supply much of the sand on coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific. To measure their production, I sample populations on coral reefs, in seagrass meadows and in mangroves over more than a year, and use micro-CT scans to quantify the size, number of chambers and carbonate volume of individual specimens. With these data I aim to determine whether foraminifera take over a larger share of sand production as coral declines. To measure transport, I work with NIOZ, using sensors to track daily changes in bed level and so understand whether the sand stays in place or is carried away. Combined, these measurements help clarify the processes behind the growth or erosion of reef islands, which is of great importance to the people who live on them.
