I’ve always been fascinated by our planet and all the wondrous creatures it supports. I’m particularly fond of Foraminifera, a group of microscopic unicellular organisms I focused on throughout my scientific career. Generally speaking, Foraminifera or “forams”, either live at the ocean surface as plankton, or on the seafloor as benthos.
Forams are incredibly diverse and their beautiful, intricate calcite shells called tests are used by scientists all over the world to study evolutionary processes, to accurately date sediments or to unravel the secrets of our oceans and climate of the past.
My own research includes benthic- and planktic foraminiferal ecology, paleoenvironemntal reconstructions, global climate change with a particular focus on Eocene hyperthermals such as the PETM and ETM2, Atlantic paleoceanography and climate sensitivity among other things.
More coming soon.
Simon D'haenens 