Multimedia Gallery
Pteropod (Image 4)
This species of pteropod (from the Greek word meaning "wing-foot"), Limacina inflata, has short, wing-like extensions that it flaps to keep from sinking. As small as a grain of sand, these tiny creatures are an important source of food for fish, whales and other marine animals.
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, to study the effects of ocean acidification on these tiny planktonic snails. Evidence has shown pteropods are vulnerable to increasing ocean acidification, which can corrode their thin, glassy shells. 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. The 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 4 of 4 related images. Back to Image 1.]
Credit: Image courtesy of Amy Maas; ©Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
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