Filipsson Helena L.

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Last Name
Filipsson
First Name
Helena L.
ORCID
0000-0001-7200-8608

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Now showing 1 - 11 of 11
  • Article
    Corrigendum to "A culture-based calibration of benthic foraminiferal paleotemperature proxies: δ18O and Mg/Ca results" published in Biogeosciences, 7, 1335–1347, 2010
    (Copernicus Publications on behalf of the European Geosciences Union, 2011-06-10) Filipsson, Helena L. ; Bernhard, Joan M. ; Lincoln, Sara ; McCorkle, Daniel C.
  • Article
    Calibration of the carbon isotope composition (δ13C) of benthic foraminifera
    (John Wiley & Sons, 2017-06-03) Schmittner, Andreas ; Bostock, Helen ; Cartapanis, olivier ; Curry, William B. ; Filipsson, Helena L. ; Galbraith, Eric D. ; Gottschalk, Julia ; Herguera, Juan Carlos ; Hoogakker, Babette ; Jaccard, Samuel L. ; Lisiecki, Lorraine E. ; Lund, David C. ; Martínez Méndez, Gema ; Lynch-Stieglitz, Jean ; Mackensen, Andreas ; Michel, Elisabeth ; Mix, Alan C. ; Oppo, Delia W. ; Peterson, Carlye D. ; Repschläger, Janne ; Sikes, Elisabeth L. ; Spero, Howard J. ; Waelbroeck, Claire
    The carbon isotope composition (δ13C) of seawater provides valuable insight on ocean circulation, air-sea exchange, the biological pump, and the global carbon cycle and is reflected by the δ13C of foraminifera tests. Here more than 1700 δ13C observations of the benthic foraminifera genus Cibicides from late Holocene sediments (δ13CCibnat) are compiled and compared with newly updated estimates of the natural (preindustrial) water column δ13C of dissolved inorganic carbon (δ13CDICnat) as part of the international Ocean Circulation and Carbon Cycling (OC3) project. Using selection criteria based on the spatial distance between samples, we find high correlation between δ13CCibnat and δ13CDICnat, confirming earlier work. Regression analyses indicate significant carbonate ion (−2.6 ± 0.4) × 10−3‰/(μmol kg−1) [CO32−] and pressure (−4.9 ± 1.7) × 10−5‰ m−1 (depth) effects, which we use to propose a new global calibration for predicting δ13CDICnat from δ13CCibnat. This calibration is shown to remove some systematic regional biases and decrease errors compared with the one-to-one relationship (δ13CDICnat = δ13CCibnat). However, these effects and the error reductions are relatively small, which suggests that most conclusions from previous studies using a one-to-one relationship remain robust. The remaining standard error of the regression is generally σ ≅ 0.25‰, with larger values found in the southeast Atlantic and Antarctic (σ ≅ 0.4‰) and for species other than Cibicides wuellerstorfi. Discussion of species effects and possible sources of the remaining errors may aid future attempts to improve the use of the benthic δ13C record.
  • Article
    Ammonium and sulfate assimilation is widespread in benthic foraminifera
    (Frontiers Media, 2022-07-20) LeKieffre, Charlotte ; Jauffrais, Thierry ; Bernhard, Joan M. ; Filipsson, Helena L. ; Schmidt, Christiane ; Roberge, Hélène ; Maire, Olivier ; Panieri, Giuliana ; Geslin, Emmanuelle ; Meibom, Anders
    Nitrogen and sulfur are key elements in the biogeochemical cycles of marine ecosystems to which benthic foraminifera contribute significantly. Yet, cell-specific assimilation of ammonium, nitrate and sulfate by these protists is poorly characterized and understood across their wide range of species-specific trophic strategies. For example, detailed knowledge about ammonium and sulfate assimilation pathways is lacking and although some benthic foraminifera are known to maintain intracellular pools of nitrate and/or to denitrify, the potential use of nitrate-derived nitrogen for anabolic processes has not been systematically studied. In the present study, NanoSIMS isotopic imaging correlated with transmission electron microscopy was used to trace the incorporation of isotopically labeled inorganic nitrogen (ammonium or nitrate) and sulfate into the biomass of twelve benthic foraminiferal species from different marine environments. On timescales of twenty hours, no detectable 15N-enrichments from nitrate assimilation were observed in species known to perform denitrification, indicating that, while denitrifying foraminifera store intra-cellular nitrate, they do not use nitrate-derived nitrogen to build their biomass. Assimilation of both ammonium and sulfate, with corresponding 15N and 34S-enrichments, were observed in all species investigated (with some individual exceptions for sulfate). Assimilation of ammonium and sulfate thus can be considered widespread among benthic foraminifera. These metabolic capacities may help to underpin the ability of benthic foraminifera to colonize highly diverse marine habitats.
  • Article
    An overview of cellular ultrastructure in benthic foraminifera : new observations of rotalid species in the context of existing literature
    (Elsevier, 2017-10-19) LeKieffre, Charlotte ; Bernhard, Joan M. ; Mabilleau, Guillaume ; Filipsson, Helena L. ; Meibom, Anders ; Geslin, Emmanuelle
    We report systematic transmission electron microscope (TEM) observations of the cellular ultrastructure of selected, small rotalid benthic foraminifera. Nine species from different environments (intertidal mudflat, fjord, and basin) were investigated: Ammonia sp., Elphidium oceanense, Haynesina germanica, Bulimina marginata, Globobulimina sp., Nonionellina labradorica, Nonionella sp., Stainforthia fusiformis and Buliminella tenuata. All the observed specimens were fixed just after collection from their natural habitats allowing description of intact and healthy cells. Foraminiferal organelles can be divided into two broad categories: (1) organelles that are present in all eukaryotes, such as the nuclei, mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, and peroxisomes; and (2) organelles observed in all foraminifera but not common in all eukaryotic cells, generally with unknown function, such as fibrillar vesicles or electron-opaque bodies. Although the organelles of the first category were observed in all the observed species, their appearance varies. For example, subcellular compartments linked to feeding and metabolism exhibited different sizes and shapes between species, likely due to differences in their diet and/or trophic mechanisms. The organelles of the second category are common in all foraminiferal species investigated and, according to the literature, are frequently present in the cytoplasm of many different species, both benthic and planktonic. This study, thus, provides a detailed overview of the major ultrastructural components in benthic foraminiferal cells from a variety of marine environments, and also highlights the need for further research to better understand the function and role of the various organelles in these fascinating organisms.
  • Article
    A culture-based calibration of benthic foraminiferal paleotemperature proxies : δ18O and Mg/Ca results
    (Copernicus Publications on behalf of the European Geosciences Union, 2010-04-29) Filipsson, Helena L. ; Bernhard, Joan M. ; Lincoln, Sara ; McCorkle, Daniel C.
    Benthic foraminifera were cultured for five months at four temperatures (4, 7, 14 and 21 °C) to establish the temperature dependence of foraminiferal calcite δ18O and Mg/Ca. Two Bulimina species (B. aculeata and B. marginata) were most successful in terms of calcification, adding chambers at all four temperatures and reproducing at 7 and 14 °C. Foraminiferal δ18O values displayed ontogenetic variations, with lower values in younger individuals. The δ18O values of adult specimens decreased with increasing temperature in all but the 4 °C treatment, exhibiting a relationship consistent with previous δ18O paleotemperature calibration studies. Foraminiferal Mg/Ca values, determined by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, were broadly consistent with previous Mg/Ca calibration studies, but extremely high values in the 4 °C treatment and higher than predicted values at two of the other three temperatures make it challenging to interpret these results.
  • Article
    Foraminiferal Mn/Ca as bottom-water hypoxia proxy: an assessment of Nonionella stella in the Santa Barbara Basin, USA
    (American Geophysical Union, 2021-10-18) Brinkmann, Inda ; Ni, Sha ; Schweizer, Magali ; Oldham, Véronique E. ; Quintana Krupinski, Nadine B. ; Medjoubi, Kadda ; Somogyi, Andrea ; Whitehouse, Martin J. ; Hansel, Colleen M. ; Barras, Christine ; Bernhard, Joan M. ; Filipsson, Helena L.
    Hypoxia is of increasing concern in marine areas, calling for a better understanding of mechanisms leading to decreasing dissolved oxygen concentrations ([O2]). Much can be learned about the processes and implications of deoxygenation for marine ecosystems using proxy records from low-oxygen sites, provided proxies, such as the manganese (Mn) to calcium (Ca) ratio in benthic foraminiferal calcite, are available and well calibrated. Here we report a modern geochemical data set from three hypoxic sites within the Santa Barbara Basin (SBB), USA, where we study the response of Mn/Caforam in the benthic foraminifer Nonionella stella to variations in sedimentary redox conditions (Mn, Fe) and bottom-water dissolved [O2]. We combine molecular species identification by small subunit rDNA sequencing with morphological characterization and assign the SBB N. stella used here to a new phylotype (T6). Synchrotron-based scanning X-ray fluorescence (XRF) imaging and Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) show low Mn incorporation (partition coefficient DMn < 0.05) and limited proxy sensitivity of N. stella, at least within the range of dissolved [O2] (2.7–9.6 μmol/l) and Mnpore-water gradients (2.12–21.59 μmol/l). Notably, even though intra- and interspecimen Mn/Ca variability (33% and 58%, respectively) was only partially controlled by the environment, Mn/Caforam significantly correlated with both pore-water Mn and bottom-water [O2]. However, the prevalent suboxic bottom-water conditions and limited dissolved [O2] range complicate the interpretation of trace-elemental trends. Additional work involving other oxygenation proxies and samples from a wider oxygen gradient should be pursued to further develop foraminiferal Mn/Ca as an indicator for hypoxic conditions.
  • Article
    Technical Note : Towards resolving in situ, centimeter-scale location and timing of biomineralization in calcareous meiobenthos – the calcein–osmotic pump method
    (Copernicus Publications on behalf of the European Geosciences Union, 2015-09-28) Bernhard, Joan M. ; Phalen, William G. ; McIntyre-Wressnig, Anna ; Mezzo, Francesco ; Wit, Johannes C. ; Jeglinski, Marleen ; Filipsson, Helena L.
    Insights into oceanographic environmental conditions such as paleoproductivity, deep-water temperatures, salinity, ice volumes, and nutrient cycling have all been obtained from geochemical analyses of biomineralized carbonate of marine organisms. However, we cannot fully understand geochemical proxy incorporation and the fidelity of such in species until we better understand fundamental aspects of their ecology such as where and when these (micro)organisms calcify. Here, we present an innovative method using osmotic pumps and the fluorescent marker calcein to help identify where and when calcareous meiofauna calcify in situ. Method development initially involved juvenile quahogs (Mercenaria mercenaria); subsequent method refinement involved a neritic benthic foraminiferal community. Future applications of this method will allow determining the in situ growth rate in calcareous organisms and provide insights about microhabitats where paleoceanographically relevant benthic foraminifera actually calcify.
  • Article
    Multiple integrated metabolic strategies allow foraminiferan protists to thrive in anoxic marine sediments
    (American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2021-05-26) Gomaa, Fatma ; Utter, Daniel R. ; Powers, Christopher ; Beaudoin, David J. ; Edgcomb, Virginia P. ; Filipsson, Helena L. ; Hansel, Colleen M. ; Wankel, Scott D. ; Zhang, Ying ; Bernhard, Joan M.
    Oceanic deoxygenation is increasingly affecting marine ecosystems; many taxa will be severely challenged, yet certain nominally aerobic foraminifera (rhizarian protists) thrive in oxygen-depleted to anoxic, sometimes sulfidic, sediments uninhabitable to most eukaryotes. Gene expression analyses of foraminifera common to severely hypoxic or anoxic sediments identified metabolic strategies used by this abundant taxon. In field-collected and laboratory-incubated samples, foraminifera expressed denitrification genes regardless of oxygen regime with a putative nitric oxide dismutase, a characteristic enzyme of oxygenic denitrification. A pyruvate:ferredoxin oxidoreductase was highly expressed, indicating the capability for anaerobic energy generation during exposure to hypoxia and anoxia. Near-complete expression of a diatom’s plastid genome in one foraminiferal species suggests kleptoplasty or sequestration of functional plastids, conferring a metabolic advantage despite the host living far below the euphotic zone. Through a unique integration of functions largely unrecognized among “typical” eukaryotes, benthic foraminifera represent winning microeukaryotes in the face of ongoing oceanic deoxygenation.
  • Article
    Through the eDNA looking glass: Responses of fjord benthic foraminiferal communities to contrasting environmental conditions
    (Wiley, 2023-03-27) Brinkmann, Inda ; Schweizer, Magali ; Singer, David ; Quinchard, Sophie ; Barras, Christine ; Bernhard, Joan M. ; Filipsson, Helena L.
    The health of coastal marine environments is severely declining with global changes. Proxies, such as those based on microeukaryote communities, can record biodiversity and ecosystem responses. However, conventional studies rely on microscopic observations of limited taxonomic range and size fraction, missing putatively ecologically informative community components. Here, we tested molecular tools to survey foraminiferal biodiversity in a fjord system (Sweden) on spatial and temporal scales: Alpha and beta diversity responses to natural and anthropogenic environmental trends were assessed and variability of foraminiferal environmental DNA (eDNA) compared to morphology‐based data. The identification of eDNA‐obtained taxonomic units was aided by single‐cell barcoding. Our study revealed wide diversity, including typical morphospecies recognized in the fjords, and so‐far unrecognized taxa. DNA extraction method impacted community composition outputs significantly. DNA extractions of 10 g sediment more reliably represented present diversity than of 0.5‐g samples and, thus, are preferred for environmental assessments in this region. Alpha‐ and beta diversity of 10‐g extracts correlated with bottom‐water salinity similar to morpho‐assemblage diversity changes. Sub‐annual environmental variability resolved only partially, indicating damped sensitivity of foraminiferal communities on short timescales using established metabarcoding techniques. Systematically addressing the current limitations of morphology‐based and metabarcoding studies may strongly improve future biodiversity and environmental assessments.
  • Article
    Benthic foraminiferal Mn/Ca as low‐oxygen proxy in Fjord sediments
    (American Geophysical Union, 2023-05-03) Brinkmann, Inda ; Barras, Christine ; Jilbert, Tom ; Paul, K. Mareike ; Somogyi, Andrea ; Ni, Sha ; Schweizer, Magali ; Bernhard, Joan M. ; Filipsson, Helena L.
    Fjord systems are typically affected by low‐oxygen conditions, which are increasing in extent and severity, forced by ongoing global changes. Fjord sedimentary records can provide high temporal resolution archives to aid our understanding of the underlying mechanisms and impacts of current deoxygenation. However, such archives can only be interpreted with well‐calibrated proxies. Bottom‐water oxygen conditions determine redox regime and availability of redox‐sensitive trace elements such as manganese, which in turn may be recorded by manganese‐to‐calcium ratios (Mn/Ca) in biogenic calcium carbonates (e.g., benthic foraminifera tests). However, biological influences on Mn incorporation (e.g., species‐specific Mn fractionation, ontogeny, living and calcification depths) are still poorly constrained. We analyzed Mn/Ca of living benthic foraminifera (Bulimina marginata, Nonionellina labradorica), sampled at low‐ to well‐oxygenated conditions over a seasonal gradient in Gullmar Fjord, Swedish West coast (71–217 μmol/L oxygen (O2)), by laser‐ablation ICP‐MS. High pore‐water Mn availability in the fjord supported Mn incorporation by foraminifera. B. marginata recorded contrasting Mn redox regimes sensitively and demonstrated potential as proxy for low‐oxygen conditions. Synchrotron‐based scanning X‐ray fluorescence nanoimaging of Mn distributions across B. marginata tests displayed Mn/Ca shifts by chambers, reflecting bottom‐water oxygenation history and/or ontogeny‐driven life strategy preferences. In contrast, Mn/Ca signals of N. labradorica were extremely high and insensitive to environmental variability. We explore potential biologically controlled mechanisms that could potentially explain this species‐specific response. Our data suggest that with the selection of sensitive candidate species, the Mn/Ca proxy has potential to be further developed for quantitative oxygen reconstructions in the low‐oxygen range.
  • Article
    Two canonically aerobic foraminifera express distinct peroxisomal and mitochondrial metabolisms
    (Frontiers Media, 2022-12-02) Powers, Christopher ; Gomaa, Fatma ; Billings, Elizabeth B. ; Utter, Daniel R. ; Beaudoin, David J. ; Edgcomb, Virginia P. ; Hansel, Colleen M. ; Wankel, Scott D. ; Filipsson, Helena L. ; Zhang, Ying ; Bernhard, Joan M.
    Certain benthic foraminifera thrive in marine sediments with low or undetectable oxygen. Potential survival avenues used by these supposedly aerobic protists include fermentation and anaerobic respiration, although details on their adaptive mechanisms remain elusive. To better understand the metabolic versatility of foraminifera, we studied two benthic species that thrive in oxygen-depleted marine sediments. Here we detail, via transcriptomics and metatranscriptomics, differential gene expression of Nonionella stella and Bolivina argentea , collected from Santa Barbara Basin, California, USA, in response to varied oxygenation and chemical amendments. Organelle-specific metabolic reconstructions revealed these two species utilize adaptable mitochondrial and peroxisomal metabolism. N. stella, most abundant in anoxia and characterized by lack of food vacuoles and abundance of intracellular lipid droplets, was predicted to couple the putative peroxisomal beta-oxidation and glyoxylate cycle with a versatile electron transport system and a partial TCA cycle. In contrast, B. argentea , most abundant in hypoxia and contains food vacuoles, was predicted to utilize the putative peroxisomal gluconeogenesis and a full TCA cycle but lacks the expression of key beta-oxidation and glyoxylate cycle genes. These metabolic adaptations likely confer ecological success while encountering deoxygenation and expand our understanding of metabolic modifications and interactions between mitochondria and peroxisomes in protists.