Coccolithophores (phylum Haptista) are a type of #phytoplankton covered in white calcium carbonate coccolith plates. Blooms in the surface seas can be seen in satellite images because these shells. They are the primary component in #chalk deposits such as the white cliffs of Dover (the "calcite belt" in the temperate north) and as such are very important for the biological carbon pump.
#climate
Emiliania huxleyi (below) is a common species.
https://joidesresolution.org/the-magical-world-of-coccolithophores/
The Magical World of Coccolithophores
What are these beautiful algae? Where are they found and why are they important? Teachers down load the word document at the end of the article with questions. These photographs show 4 coccolitho…JOIDES Resolution