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(Reference retrieved automatically from Web of Science through information on FAPESP grant and its corresponding number as mentioned in the publication by the authors.)

Unveiling privacy: Advances in microtomography of coralline algae

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Author(s):
Torrano-Silva, Beatriz N. [1] ; Ferreira, Simone Gomes [2] ; Oliveira, Mariana C. [1]
Total Authors: 3
Affiliation:
[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Biociencias, Dept Bot, BR-05508090 Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil
[2] Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Biociencias, Dept Genet & Biol Evolut, BR-05508090 Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil
Total Affiliations: 2
Document type: Journal article
Source: Micron; v. 72, p. 34-38, MAY 2015.
Web of Science Citations: 4
Abstract

Marine calcareous algae are widespread in oceans of the world and known for their calcified cell walls and the generation of rhodolith beds that turn sandy bottoms into a complex structured ecosystem with high biodiversity. Rhodoliths are unattached, branching, crustose benthic marine red algae; they provide habitat for a rich variety of marine invertebrates. The resultant excavation is relevant to sediment production, while is common that the fragments or the whole specimens result in vast fossil deposits formed by rich material that can be ``mined{''} for biological and geological data. Accordingly, microtomography (mu CT) may enable a detailed investigation of biological and geological signatures preserved within the rhodolith structure in a non-destructive approach that is especially relevant when analyzing herbaria collections or rare samples. Therefore, we prepared coralline algae samples and submitted them to a range of capabilities provided by the SkyScan1176 micro-CT scanner, including reconstruction, virtual slicing, and pinpointing biological and geological signatures. To this end, polychaetes and mollusk shells, or their excavations, coral nucleation, sediment deposits and conceptacles were all observed. Although a similar technique has been applied previously to samples of living rhodoliths in Brazil, we show, for the first time, its successful application to fossil rhodoliths. We also provide a detailed working protocol and discuss the advantages and limitations of the microtomography within the rhodoliths. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. (AU)

FAPESP's process: 10/19234-3 - Taxonomy and phylogeny from the subfamily Lithophylloideae in Brazil.
Grantee:Beatriz Nogueira Torrano da Silva
Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate