Journal article
Assessing pteropod shell dissolution to advance ocean monitoring techniques: a methods comparison of SEM, CT, and light microscopy
Frontiers in Marine Science, v 12, 1473333
01 Jun 2025
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Pteropods are marine planktonic snails that are used as bioindicators of ocean acidification due to their thin, aragonitic shells, and ubiquity throughout the world’s oceans; their responses include decreased size, reduced shell thickness, and increased shell dissolution. Shell dissolution has been measured with a variety of metrics involving light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and computed tomography (CT). While CT and SEM metrics offer high resolution imaging, these analyses are cost- and time-intensive relative to light microscopy analysis. This research compares light microscopy, CT, and SEM shell dissolution metrics across three pteropod species: Limacina helicina, Limacina retroversa, and Heliconoides inflatus. Sourced from multiple localities, these specimens lived in tropical to subpolar environments and were exposed to varying aragonite saturations states due to oceanographic differences in these environments. Specimens were evaluated with light microscopy for the Limacina Dissolution Index (LDX), with SEM for percent of pristine shell coverage and maximum dissolution type, and with CT for whole-shell thickness. LDX and the percentage of pristine shell determined via SEM were highly correlated in all three species’ datasets. For L. retroversa, LDX was also significantly correlated to SEM maximum dissolution type. Although the genera Heliconoides and Limacina have different shell microstructures, the relationship between LDX and SEM dissolution did not vary by species. The CT metric for shell thickness was not significantly correlated to any other dissolution metrics for any species. However, severely dissolved areas apparent in SEM were visually discernible in CT thickness heatmaps. While CT may not detect minor shell dissolution, previous studies have used CT to detect reduced calcification in response to ocean acidification. SEM is ideal for detecting the onset of dissolution, but SEMing large numbers of specimens may not be practical due to monetary and time constraints. LDX, on the other hand, is a fast and cost-effective metric that is strongly correlated with SEM metrics, regardless of the oceanographic conditions that those species experienced. These results suggest that an efficient ocean acidification monitoring strategy is to evaluate all pteropod specimens via LDX and to then SEM a subset of those specimens.
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Details
- Title
- Assessing pteropod shell dissolution to advance ocean monitoring techniques: a methods comparison of SEM, CT, and light microscopy
- Creators
- Bryce E. Koester - Drexel UniversityJohn C. Handley - University of RochesterMaven Mercado - Drexel UniversityOwen A. Goodchild - Drexel UniversityRosie L. Oakes - Drexel UniversityJocelyn A. Sessa - Drexel University
- Publication Details
- Frontiers in Marine Science, v 12, 1473333
- Publisher
- Frontiers Media S.A
- Number of pages
- 16
- Grant note
- Lerner Grey Fund for Marine ResearchWestern Society of Malacologists McLean GrantAcademy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University John J. & Anna H. Gallagher Fellowship
We are deeply indebted to Lindsey T. Groves at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles, Paul Dees at Scottish Association for Marine Science, Chevonne Angus at University of the Highlands and Islands, and Brian Huber for providing specimens that made this work possible. We are also incredibly grateful for Elizabeth Watson and Gary Rosenberg for their thoughtful comments on earlier drafts of this manuscript. Light microscopy imaging was completed with the invaluable assistance of Emily Owens and Alexis Srogota. CT scanning was conducted by Morgan Hill Chase at the American Museum of Natural History X-ray Computed Tomography Facility and by Jessica Maisano at the University of Texas High-Resolution X-ray Computed Tomography Facility with support from NSF (NSF EAR-1762458 and NSF MRI EAR-0959384) and NASA (80NSSC23K0199). Additionally, many thanks are owed to Edward Stanley at the Florida Museum of Natural History, for advice on CT analysis. SEM work was carried out at the Singh Center for Nanotechnology which is supported by the NSF National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure Program under grant NNCI-2025608. We would also like to acknowledge Paula Ramos-Silva, for usage with modification of their original figure, and Paul Roberts at the Academy of Natural Sciences Library, for assistance in archival research. We are grateful to editor D. Shallin Busch and reviewers Jinlin Liu and Silke Lischka for their thoughtful comments.
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Science (BEES); Pennoni Honors College; Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:001509863800001
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-105008315497
- Other Identifier
- 991022057000404721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Environmental Sciences
- Marine & Freshwater Biology