In the context of global warming, scientists are more and more worried about the response of ecosystems to climate change. It is thus crucial to study past climates to better understand what we can expect in the future. One approach is to use information stored in one group of algae, the Haptophytes

• Even though they are microscopic, Haptophytes are at the base of the food chain and they play an important role in the carbon cycle
• They are as well a rich source of climate information as they record water temperature as they grow.

In this presentation, Dr Julien Plancq will describe why Haptophytes are important in the ecosystem and how we use them to tell us how the climate has changed in the past. He will give examples of paleoclimatic reconstructions in marine settings, and present the objectives of his current study of lacustrine environments.

About the Speaker:
Dr Julien Plancq is a Research Associate in the School of Geographical and Earth Sciences at the University of Glasgow, where he is developing a temperature calibration for paleoclimate reconstructions in Canadian lakes, by studying alkenone (lipids produced by Haptophytes) composition and alkenone producers.

This is event is free to attend, although we will be asking for donations at the end of the talk. Participants are under no obligation whatsoever to donate, however please rest assured that the money we collect doesn’t end up in anyone’s pocket – it is used to fund our overhead costs, and travel/accommodation for our speakers who come from further afield.