USGS Science⌕ Search
Home/Archive/USGS

USGS · 70280667

Shifting phenology in planktonic foraminifera in the Gulf of America (Mexico) with 21st century warming

Maoli N. Vizcaíno·Ellen Thomas·Pincelli M. Hull·Caitlin E. Reynolds·Raquel Bryant·Julie N. Richey
View original source ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

We investigate trends in foraminiferal phenology using a 12-year (2008–2020), well-resolved (7 to 28-day resolution) time series of planktonic foraminiferal fluxes from a U.S. Geological Survey sediment trap in the northern Gulf of America (Gulf of Mexico; 27.5°N, 90.3°W). The total foraminiferal flux declined over this time. We used Horn-Morisita dissimilarity analysis, principal coordinate analysis, and correlation matrices to show that fall assemblages became more similar in composition to summer assemblages (July–September) over the 12 years. As a result, winter (January–March) and fall (October–December) assemblages, which dominate the total annual foraminiferal flux, became more dissimilar in composition. This pattern is consistent with multidecadal, non-uniform trends of increasing seasonal sea surface temperatures, affecting the seasonality and composition of foraminiferal communities through changing species phenology. We speculate that similar phenological changes across plankton communities might have led to trophic mismatch, causing the decline in total foraminiferal flux.

Explore related subjects

Journal of Foraminiferal ResearchArticle
90° N90° S · 180° W ← longitude → 180° E
Source-reported bounding extent: 17.0176537° to 29.677311940586648° latitude; -99.1230817° to -77.87542182427244° longitude. This indicates report coverage, not an exact sampling location. View area on OpenStreetMap.

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

Maoli N. Vizcaíno, Ellen Thomas, Pincelli M. Hull, Caitlin E. Reynolds, Raquel Bryant, Julie N. Richey. 2026-08-31. Shifting phenology in planktonic foraminifera in the Gulf of America (Mexico) with 21st century warming. https://doi.org/10.61551/gsjfr.56.3.125

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related USGS reports

USGS2026

Synthesizing a twelve-year sediment trap time series of planktic foraminiferal flux in the Gulf of America (Mexico)

Sediment trap time series provide powerful frameworks for testing hypotheses about planktic foraminiferal assemblage composition, seasonality, and geochemical responses to environmental variability, all of which are central to improving paleoceanographic reconstructions. We present high resolution foraminiferal assemblage data from a long-running sediment trap (2008–2020) in the northern Gulf of America (Mexico). This study summarizes the species composition, seasonality, and size distribution of the fifteen most abundant species of planktic foraminifera, which account for 98% of total flux. Foraminiferal flux peaks in winter and reaches a minimum in summer, following the seasonal pattern of primary production in the northern Gulf. Winter assemblages are dominated by non-spinose taxa, whereas spinose taxa prevail during summer. Across nearly all species, average monthly test size covaries with temperature, independent of seasonal flux trends. Notably, Trilobatus sacculifer and Neogloboquadrina dutertrei show a significant decline in relative abundance and flux during 2017–2020, nearly disappearing from the assemblage.

Journal of Foraminiferal Research↗
USGS2025

Insights from growing Globorotalia truncatulinoides and Globorotalia menardii in the laboratory

The vast majority of planktic foraminiferal culture studies have been carried out on spinose species of foraminifera, with relatively few studies on non-spinose species. We conducted a pilot study to test whether live specimens of the non-spinose planktic foraminifera, Globorotalia truncatulinoides and Globorotalia menardii , could be successfully harvested from offshore plankton tow samples in the Gulf of America (Gulf of Mexico) and kept alive in a laboratory at the US Geological Survey St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center. We collected several G. truncatulinoides specimens (n = 39) from the surface mixed-layer (0–80 meters) via vertical plankton tow in February 2020 during a sediment trap mooring recovery cruise. We collected G. menardii (n = 27) from the upper 200 meters of the water column on follow-up cruises in December 2021 and November 2022. The G. truncatulinoides specimens stayed alive in the laboratory for 8–76 days, and G. menardii for 7–29 days. All non-spinose foraminifera in this study showed a strong preference for eating marine snow aggregates from the plankton tow over Artemia nauplii. Using a combination of morphometric observations and geochemical analysis of the foraminiferal tests, we demonstrate that some specimens of both species grew new chambers while in culture, whereas other individuals added a calcite crust to the final whorl. The G. menardii were cultured in 87 Sr-labeled seawater, and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) was used to verify the presence of laboratory-grown calcite. Our results shed light on the feeding behavior and growth patterns in these two upper-ocean species of non-spinose foraminifera. This study demonstrates the feasibility of conducting laboratory culture experiments with G. truncatulinoides and G. menardii collected via plankton tow in the open ocean.

Journal of Foraminiferal Research↗