Christian Gfatter

Provided Oracle Express and OFA support/development as needed.

Poster presentation at the 2020 GSA Joint Section Meeting (Southeastern and Northeastern).

The primary purpose of the research is to investigate molybdenum uptake in the calcite shells of benthic foraminifera. Various elements incorporated into foraminiferal calcite have been used as paleoproxies for prior contemporaneous oceanic conditions, but few studies have examined the incorporation of molybdenum (Mo) by cultured foraminifera. The two main goals are (1) to determine the abiotic uptake of molybdenum at various increased seawater concentrations using cultured benthic foraminifera, and (2) to evaluate the incorporation of Mo by cultured benthic foraminifera grown in present day seawater Mo concentrations to those grown in several diluted seawater Mo concentrations. These culture experiments will be an initial study of Mo variabilities in foraminiferal calcite to better constrain paleo-ocean chemistry. This is a first step to quantify oceanic trace element concentrations that can be utilized to understand paleo-redox conditions of the ancient global ocean, especially throughout the Cenozoic which lacks useful archives from other methods.

Thesis for Master of Science degree in Marine Science.