Coccolithophores are an oceanic nanoplankton so small they can only be seen through an electron microscope. They create, extrude, then cover themselves with tiny, beautiful plates made of calcium carbonate, and in these plates, sequester about half the CO2 in our oceans.
The sea floor is covered with trillions of these plates, called coccoliths. Over millions of years, these coccolith sediments compress into chalk and limestone. Uplifted, they become part of our landscape, sometimes mined or quarried. In addition to being used for stone building or sculpture, limestone (and chalk) can be found in the production of cement and ceramic glazes.
Some coastlines are made up of these materials (the White Cliffs of Dover are chalk), and there are outcrops along the California Coast, including south of San Gregorio Beach. The town of Davenport housed a cement factory with eight limestone quarries.

Nanoplankton Discosphaera
Image source: JRYoung SEM colln plankton
Ocean Acidification
Unfortunately for coccolithophores, many species do not fare well in an increasingly acidic environment. A healthy ocean environment with a balanced pH creates aesthetically beautiful coccoliths; elevated Ph levels cause disfigured, brutal forms. Climate change and ocean acidification may have a catastrophic impact on the nanoplankton’s survival, and hence their ability to capture and sequester carbon from the earth’s atmosphere. This is not good.

Coccolith morphology as acidification and warming increases
Credit: Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (ICTA-UAB)
Project Discosphaera
Giving voice to the sea and inspired by my research on coccolithophores, I will create a large scale permanent metal, stone and incised ceramic tile installation large enough to be visible from the air.
The project is called Discosphaera, named after a coccolithophore that when under stress, secretes trumpet-like plates, reminiscent of Gabriel’s trumpet in historical artworks. Installed on an exposed meadow and combining regional geology, marine biology, mathematics, and my 3-D skills, the installation will include informative ceramic tiles and materials will include fossil coccoliths themselves.
Mitigating climate change will take every one of us and I welcome dialog with interested parties.