Experimental Study on Ecological and Biogeochemical Role of Calcimycocavites in Understanding Carbon Fluxes in the Age of Global Warming and Climate Change

Abstract

The present work reports the results of calcimycocavitological studies on the seashells from beaches of north Goa, India yielding distinct microfungal forms known as calcimycocavites which are important in global climate change studies. SEM studies of the calcareous shell fragments revealed the micro tunneling behavior of the fungi. Digital analysis of SEM images using Mountain Premium 7.2 software revealed the fine topography of calcimycocavites hyphae along with unidentified presumptive biomineral encrustations. The biodegradation of mycocavitogenic insoluble Calcium Oxalate by oxalotrophic members of bacterial communities may occur using bacterial Oxalate decarboxylase and formate dehydrogenase finally releasing Carbon Di Oxide and water and Calcium oxide to the local nutrient pool. Calcimycocavites may be thus involved in the biogeochemical cycling of Carbon and Calcium in the Ocean-Beach environment. The ecological, biological, and biogeochemical implications of the findings are presented concerning the possible role of calcimycocavites in Calcium and Carbon cycling by breakdown of the calcareous shells and release of inorganic and organic components in the ecosystem. The role of calcimycocavites is stressed in global climate studies.

Keywords:

• Beach sand
• biogeochemical cycling
• calcimycocavites
• climate change
• microtunneling

Acknowledgments

We thank Anne Berger, Sales Manager, Digital Surf, France for permitting to use of Mountains Map software, and Digital surf for SEM image processing and analysis. This work was supported by UGC-SAP Phase II – Biodiversity, Bioprospecting programme and Goa University Fungus Culture Collection (GUFCC). We thank R.N.S Bandekar CO, Vasco da Gama for funding the work on biomineral studies.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).