Coccolithophores’ fictional nation and history — the flag and the national epos
How do we value coexisting nature and its creatures and organisms? Do we see them equal with humans? Most likely not, but we should. The reason why we do not think for example coccolithophores equal with us, is that they are so different from us. To understand their beauty, importance and intelligence, we must think differently.
I believe coccolithophores are not very familiar for many people, as they weren't for me before the project. Researching coccolithophores showed me, how interesting and important tiny organisms can be, and how we might not even know their existence. Because knowing and understanding leads to empathising and caring, I wanted to arise awareness of coccolithophores. To show that they are different, but still important and capable to do amazing things. That way people might get interested in them and begin to understand, empathise and care.
The final outcome of this project is more speculative. I gave coccolithophores their own fictional nation and history — flag and national epos. Coccolithophores are juxtaposed with people to ask a question: “If non-humans were more human-like, would we value them better?” The national epos is written from the viewpoint of a coccolithophore and is a speculative, fictional story based on facts about coccolithophores. It also shows that we, humans, should act to save not only their but also our own living environment before it is too late.
For me, the whole project was very personal process. After the project I felt that maybe the most important thing process gave to me, was a change in a relationship with seas.
I lived my childhood and adolescence on the shore of the lake Saimaa, so I have always found myself more as a “lake-person” than a “sea-person”. Seas have been distant both physically and mentally. Even though I moved near the Baltic Sea four years ago, I had not felt connection towards seas.
Anyhow, I started to feel connection with sea on our three-day visit at Marine Research Station at Kristineberg. During the visit I had a wonderful possibility to get acquainted with the sea, in a place where almost everyone and -thing are for sea. I explored the area and its atmosphere, did hands-on working with materials that I just collected from the sea, learnt about ocean acidification and how it affects on marine ecosystems and saw underwater forms of life at the boat. Especially the peek to unknown underwater world realised to me that there is surprisingly much life under the surface.
All this made me understand seas much more than I had ever before understood. Understanding the sea led me to feel it closer and that led me to a feeling that I should take care of it more. I started to wonder how much there is life in the world that we do not realise, and that way how much we might have impact on those species’ lives without even knowing it.
I made more research on ocean acidification, and found an interesting organisms which are affected by the decreased pH levels of water: coccolithophores.
I got interested in those micro-organisms, because of their own kind of intelligence, importance and beauty. Coccolithophores worked as a medium to showcase me what is happening in the unknown underwater world. They were guides of oceans and marine ecosystems for me.
By researching coccolithophores I learnt not only what they are and how they behave but also what impacts they have for marine ecosystems and that way for the whole world.
I also continued hands on working through the whole project. I personally feel that it was a tool for me in a same way as researching coccolithophores or sensing the sea at Kristineberg. It was a way to be in an interaction with the nature and sea. Using basically same substances of which coccolithophores are composed, calcium and algae, brought me closer with those micro-organisms. I did many different material experiments, tried to mimic the structure of coccoliths and tested and realised how water with lowered pH affects on the seaweed samples covered with calcium.
Coccolithophores are 5-100 micrometer sized unicellular spherical algae. They are so tiny that we can not see them without microscope. In ideal conditions, there can be 100 million cells per litre of water. Each unicellular coccolithophore has its own collection of coccoliths (=calcium carbonate plates created inside the cell). Coccoliths are produced in a process called coccolithogenesis. Calcification happens better when there is light, and that is why they mostly stay near the surface.
Even though coccolithophores are tiny creatures, they have significant impact in oceans and seas, and that way also in the whole world. One important role they have, is that they are producing a significant amount of the world’s oxygen. But it is not the only one.
During the coccolithogenesis, two carbon atoms are taken up and one of them becomes trapped as calcium carbonate. This calcium carbonate sinks to the bottom of the ocean in a form of coccolith. Because of coccolithophores big population, they have really important role in emitting carbon to sediments.
They are also helping marine snow, which comprises of dead phytoplankton, zooplankton and faecial pellets, to sink to the sediments. Otherwise carbon trapped in marine snow would rise all the way back up to the atmosphere.
Coccolithophores have positive impact on long term for ocean acidification and that way they are keeping water pH-levels stable. It is important for many species of the ocean.
They play also a crucial role in the ocean’s foodweb. Coccolithophores, among other phytoplankton, are the base for it.
Coccolithophores are also producing some chemical compounds, that leads to production of clouds. Clouds are important because they reflect radiation coming from the sun and that way keeps planet cooler.
Coccolithophores are really affecting to world and its conditions. If they disappear from the oceans, it would have catastrophic consequences at least in the long term. We as humans are dependent of their existence. It must be understood that there is existing such micro-organisms that plays so big role in our planet and that our actions can have crucial impact on them.
The Earth was born 4.5 billion years ago. If it would be compared to a year, coccolithophores would have been here about 10 months, homo sapiens 14 minutes and industrial revolution only two seconds. Even so, the conditions of the world have changed explosively during those last two seconds. For environment that change has not been that good. People have build the world to work so, that it is not sustainable for nature.
Carbon dioxide emissions have increased a lot and are causing wicked problems like climate change and ocean acidification. 30-40% of CO2 produced by human activity, ends up dissolved in the ocean.
When carbon dioxide comes to ocean it combines with water molecule and forms carbonic acid. Each carbonic acid molecule can then release one of its hydrogen ions to make bicarbonate. Bicarbonate molecule can still further break down into carbonated ion by releasing again one hydrogen ion. Now there are free hydrogen ions floating around and increasing the acidity of water.
Free carbonate ions are needed by many calcifying organisms and creatures to produce calcium carbonate, which is used to create for example shields. Unfortunately, free carbonate ions are also recombining with hydrogen ions. That reduces the available calcium carbonate and that way organisms with calcium carbonate skeleton, like coccolithophores, are in trouble.
It is a real threat for biodiversity. Even though some species might benefit from decreased pH-levels of water, there are many species which are suffering from it.
Human activity is taking too much and too fast part in the systems of the nature. Even though change has always been happening, it has not happened in a such speed at least since the last big extinction event. Next “seconds” will show, if we are going to end up to the sixth extinction, which would be destructive for homo sapiens too.
We value coexisting creatures and organisms often by comparing them with humans. The more non-human is reminding us, the better we value it. If we then think for example coccolithophore and the intelligence of it, we might think that it has no intelligence.
But yes it does. Even smallest organisms can be surprisingly intelligent if we examine intelligence from non-anthropogenic viewpoint. Let’s say that intelligence is receiving knowledge and then using it to solve problems. With that definition, plants can be seen really intelligent. They have found a way to breath without lungs, see and find light without eyes, eat without mouth, make decisions without brains and so on. The fact that they are different, does not mean that they should not be equal with us. We should learn to value all kinds of organisms and that way coexist with them.
Coccolithophores appearance is beautiful. They look like a spherical sculpture. Each species has their own kind of coccoliths. It is unbelievable how one-celled algae can produce so interesting structures around themselves. Why do they make them? Even re- searchers are not sure, but there are several hypothesis.
It might be, that plates of coccolithophores are developed to protect alga. Coccoliths may protect from predators, but also from osmotic changes, chemical or mechanical shock, short wavelength light and so on. Coccoliths might also help algae to sink more deeper, to more nutrient waters.
Even though we do not know the exact reason and function of coccoliths, we can say that it cannot be coincidence how those plates look like now.
Coccola – A Folktale about the World of Coccolithophores