Multimedia Gallery
Pteropod (Image 3)
A half-inch-long Cavolinia uncinata swims by flapping two wing-like extensions that give the group of planktonic snails, formally known as pteropods (from the Greek word meaning "wing-foot"), their unofficial name of "sea butterflies." Cavolinia feeds by producing a net or web of mucus attached to its mouth. When particles and small prey stick to the net, the pteropod ingests its dinner, web and all. This specimen was collected during a National Science Foundation-supported research cruise in the Pacific Ocean, led by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) scientist Gareth Lawson.
Pteropods are an important source of food for fish, whales and other marine animals. Pteropods build shells made of calcium carbonate, similar to those of garden snails but thinner and more delicate. These fragile shells may be vulnerable to the oceans changing chemistry.
At Woods Hole, Lawson and colleagues are investigating how these planktonic molluscs are being affected by ocean acidification. The worlds ocean waters have gradually become more acidic. Ocean acidification is a direct consequence of increasing levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the Earths atmosphere, brought on as a result of human-caused CO2 emissions. WHOI researchers are comparing pteropods in ocean regions with normal acidity to those in regions already showing acidification.
In addition to his research, Lawson collaborated with sculptor Cornelia Kavanaugh, whose sculptures of pteropods were shown in the exhibit "The Gorgeous Shapes of Sea Butterflies" at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural Historys Sant Ocean Hall. (Date of Image: August 2011) [Image 3 of 4 related images. See Image 4.]
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Credit: Image courtesy of Liza Roger; ©Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
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