Extensive culturing experiment on Turborotalita quinqueloba (spinose planktonic foraminifera)

Planktonic foraminifera are a ubiquitous group of calcifying marine protists and among the most affected by modern ecological changes due to climate change. Specifically, at high latitudes in the Atlantic Ocean, they are forced to adapt to rapidly warming sea surface temperatures, referred to as the "Atlantification" of the Arctic. Turborotalita quinqueloba, a spinose species of planktonic foraminifera, is currently proliferating at higher latitudes towards the Arctic Ocean. We conducted a large-scale culturing experiment on Turborotalita quinqueloba for 30 days at i UiT-The Arctic University of Norway in Tromsø to investigate its life cycle, reproductive strategies, and how this species reacts to prolonged lab culturing conditions. A total of 357 living individuals were collected and placed in culture using vertical tows deployed to a depth of 50 m at 71° N, 11° E in the Norwegian Sea. Here, we present our live culturing observations and findings, such as the observation of two distinct forms of external structures, and we provide insights for future large-scale culturing experiments on Turborotalita quinqueloba.