Definition of coccolithophore in English:
coccolithophore
nounˌkɒkə(ʊ)ˈlɪθəfɔːˌkäkəˈliTHəfôr
Biology A single-celled marine flagellate that secretes a calcareous shell, forming an important constituent of the phytoplankton.
Order Coccolithophorida, phylum Haptophyta
Example sentencesExamples
- Diatoms and coccolithophores particularly are important sources of food for small aquatic predators.
- Fossils of this group date back into the Jurassic, where they first become abundant, and some possible fossils of coccolithophores have been recovered from the Pennsylvanian.
- They're performing laboratory experiments with microscopic shell-building phytoplankton known as coccolithophores.
- The brown algæ that produce tiny washer-shaped coccoliths are known as coccolithophores, and these also float in the upper section of the open seas.
- This satellite image of a coccolithophore bloom off the coasts of Cornwall and Brittany was taken on Wednesday.
Derivatives
adjective & noun
Biology Corals, some types of mollusk, and tiny planktonic organisms called foraminifers and coccolithophorids could all be affected.
Example sentencesExamples
- It is well known that an increase in atmospheric pCO2 slows down calcification in living coccolithophorids.
- The coccolithophorids range in age from Triassic to Recent, and form a major constituent of Mesozoic and Tertiary chalks.
- There are several hundred living species of this group, which includes the benign coccolithophorids.
- Amongst the affected species are microscopic marine plants called coccolithophorids, which lie at the base of the marine food-chain and are part of the ‘meadows of the sea’ on which most marine life ultimately depends.