Assessing the effect of calcein incorporation on physiological processes of benthic foraminifera

Rosalina sp. was incubated in seawater spiked with calcein (5mg/l to 20mg/l calcein), a dye proposed as efficient marker to tag newly formed calcite, to understand its effect on benthic foraminifera. The experiment was conducted at 25°C and 27°C temperatures. The growth of Rosalina sp. is not affected by any of the calcein concentrations within the first 4–5weeks of exposure. Additionally, no distinct difference in abnormality, mortality and reproduction was observed in the control and treatment specimens during the first 3–4weeks of incubation. The comparable growth, abnormality, mortality and reproduction in both the control and the various treatments suggest that short-term exposure to calcein does not adversely affect benthic foraminifera. However, during the total 15–16weeks of experiment, more than 50% of the specimens died in all the treatment sets, as compared to