Toasty Coasts in High-CO2 Worlds - Marine Mollusks as Paleo-Weathermen?
Explore the role of marine mollusks as indicators of past climate conditions in this 59-minute lecture. Delve into the importance of climate reconstructions and models during periods of high atmospheric CO2 concentrations. Discover how biogenic carbonate producers like clams and snails serve as ideal archives for environmental and ecosystem changes on a human timescale. Learn about the preservation of mollusk shells and their potential to reveal information about extreme weather events and seasonality under various climate states. Examine research methodologies, including shell preservation measurement, reconstructions, and lab culture techniques. Investigate case studies involving Arctic icelandica, Pliocene reconstructions, and modern bivalves. Gain insights into chemical variability, growth rates, and the implications for paleobiology. Conclude with a preview of future research directions and participate in a question-and-answer session with the speaker.