Variation inEmiliania huxleyicoccolith morphology in samples from the Norwegian EHUX experiment, 1992

A qualitative scanning electron microscopy study of coccoliths of Emiliania huxleyi from the Norwegian fjord mesocosm experiments has been undertaken. The types of variation observed are documented here together with preliminary results of a quantitative study of size variation. There is little evidence of genotypic variation, but significant variation does occur due to teratological malformation, under-calcification and, especially, dissolution. A distinctive morphotype termed here collapsed coccoliths is described and it is argued that it is a product of dissolution.