A study of the extinction of marine organisms at the end of the Cretaceous using corals and foraminifera breeding experiments

• Project/Area Number: 18K18793
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 17:Earth and planetary science and related fields
• Research Institution: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
• Principal Investigator: Suzuki Atsushi 国立研究開発法人産業技術総合研究所, 地質調査総合センター, 研究グループ長 (60344199)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 黒柳 あずみ 東北大学, 学術資源研究公開センター, 准教授 (20536510) ; 井口 亮 国立研究開発法人産業技術総合研究所, 地質調査総合センター, 主任研究員 (50547502) ; 大野 宗祐 千葉工業大学, 惑星探査研究センター, 上席研究員 (80432631) ; 酒井 一彦 琉球大学, 熱帯生物圏研究センター, 教授 (50153838)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-06-29 – 2023-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2022)
• Budget Amount: ¥6,370,000 (Direct Cost: ¥4,900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,470,000); Fiscal Year 2019: ¥2,470,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥570,000); Fiscal Year 2018: ¥3,900,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥900,000)
• Keywords: 海洋酸性化 / 飼育実験 / 石灰化 / 白亜紀 / サンゴ / 有孔虫

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The impact of the extinction of marine organisms at the end of the Cretaceous was greater for coccolithophytes and smaller for diatoms, which is more in harmony with the "ocean acidification by sulfuric acid rain" theory than the "photosynthesis inhibition by impact winter" theory. First, we tested the addition of sulfuric acid to corals (early stage polyps of Acropora spp.) and foraminifera (reef dwelling benthic species), and found that the area of early stage coral polyps tended to decrease as the amount of sulfuric acid added increased. Next, we prepared highly alkaline seawater that mimicked the composition of seawater during the Cretaceous period and tested the growth of early coral polyps. The Cretaceous seawater showed a calcification rate similar to that of present-day seawater with similar carbonate saturation.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究課題による取り組みは、生物絶滅現象の新しい研究手段としての生物飼育実験法を提唱するものである。また、今回の予察的な結果は、海水の炭酸飽和度が石灰化に重要なパラメータであることを確認するとともに、将来の地球温暖化の緩和を目指して検討が進められている海洋ネガティブエミッション・海洋アルカリ増進技術の試みに関係した示唆にも富む。

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Visualisation of Phosphate in Subcalicoblastic Extracellular Calcifying Medium and on a Skeleton of Coral by Using a Novel Probe, Fluorescein-4-Isothiocyanate-Labelled Alendronic Acid (2022)
  • Author(s): Iijima Mariko、Yasumoto Jun、Mori-Yasumoto Kanami、Yasumoto-Hirose Mina、Iguchi Akira、Suzuki Atsushi、Mizusawa Nanami、Jimbo Mitsuru、Watabe Shugo、Yasumoto Ko
  • Journal Title: Marine Biotechnology Volume: - Issue: 3 Pages: 524-530
  • DOI: 10.1007/s10126-022-10115-1
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Decrease in volume and density of foraminiferal shells with progressing ocean acidification (2021)
  • Author(s): Kuroyanagi Azumi、Irie Takahiro、Kinoshita Shunichi、Kawahata Hodaka、Suzuki Atsushi、Nishi Hiroshi、Sasaki Osamu、Takashima Reishi、Fujita Kazuhiko
  • Journal Title: Scientific Reports Volume: 11 Issue: 1 Pages: 1-7
  • DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-99427-1
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Journal Article] Stable strontium isotopic compositions of river water, groundwater, and sediments from the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna river system in Bangladesh (2021)
  • Author(s): Yoshimura, T., Wakaki, S., Kawahata, H., Hossain, Z., Manaka, T., Suzuki, A., Ishikawa, T. and Ohkouchi, N.
  • Journal Title: Frontiers in Earth Science, Volume: 9 Pages: 1-17
  • DOI: 10.3389/feart.2021.592062
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Biomarkers in the rock outcrop of the Kazusa Group reveal palaeoenvironments of the Kuroshio region (2021)
  • Author(s): Kajita H., Maeda A., Utsunomiya M., Yoshimura T., Ohkouchi N., Suzuki A., Kawahata H.
  • Journal Title: Communications Earth＆Environment Volume: 2 Issue: 1 Pages: 1-9
  • DOI: 10.1038/s43247-021-00154-2
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Journal Article] Temperature effects on the shell growth of a larger benthic foraminifer (Sorites orbiculus): Results from culture experiments and micro X-ray computed tomography (2021)
  • Author(s): Kinoshita, S., Kuroyanagi, A., Kawahata, H., Fujita, K., Ishimura, T., Suzuki, A., Sasaki, S., Nishi, H.
  • Journal Title: Marine Micropaleontology Volume: 163 Pages: 101960-101960
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.marmicro.2021.101960
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Journal Article] Partitioning and chemical environments of minor elements in individual large benthic foraminifera cultured in temperature-controlled tanks (2019)
  • Author(s): Yoshimura, T., Maeda, A., Tamenori, Y., Suzuki, A., Fujita, K., Kawahata, H.
  • Journal Title: Frontiers in Earth Science Volume: 7 Pages: 124-124
  • DOI: 10.3389/feart.2019.00124
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Journal Article] Magnesium isotopic composition of tests of large benthic foraminifers: implications for biomineralization (2019)
  • Author(s): Maeda, A., Yoshimura, T., Araoka, D., Suzuki, A., Tamenori, Y., Fujita, K., Toyofuku, T., Ohkouchi, N., Kawahata, H.
  • Journal Title: Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems Volume: 20 Issue: 8 Pages: 4046-4058
  • DOI: 10.1029/2019gc008314
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Presentation] 沿岸域の底質に吸着したリン酸塩はサンゴ稚ポリプの骨格形成を阻害する (2021)
  • Author(s): 飯島真理子（北里大・海洋生命）・安元純（琉大・農）・井口亮（産総研・地質情報）・中村崇（琉大理・琉大熱生研）・酒井一彦（琉大熱生研）・廣瀬美奈（トロピカルテクノプラス）・安元加奈未（東京理科・薬）・水澤奈々美（北里大・海洋生命）・鈴木淳（産総研・地質情報）・天野春菜・神保充・渡部終五・安元剛（北里大・海洋生命）．
  • Organizer: 2021年度日本地球惑星連合大会
• [Presentation] Calcification depths of planktic foraminifers constrained using geochemical signatures in the sediment trap samples collected from the Bay of Bengal (2021)
  • Author(s): 前田 歩, 黒柳 あずみ, 吉村 寿紘, Gaye Birgit, Rixen Tim, 鈴木 淳, 川幡 穂高
  • Organizer: 2021年度日本地球惑星科学連合大会
• [Presentation] 海洋炭酸系の基礎と海洋酸性化 (2019)
  • Author(s): 鈴木 淳，井口 亮
  • Organizer: 2018年度地球環境史学会年会
  • Invited