There has been an immense amount of research recently on the biology of microfossil groups, often largely driven by the need for a better understanding of them to improve their use in micropalaeontology. In consequence, classic guides such as the Coccolithophores book of Winter & Siesser (1994) or  Hemleben’s Planktonic Foraminifera are increasingly out of date. We envisage that for any of the groups we specialise in, there is potential for a new guide aimed at graduate students and researchers working with them. These might include review chapters by appropriate experts on topics such as:

• Organismal biology
• test structure and formation
• Physiological ecology
• Classification and phylogeny
• Extant biodiversity (with some kind of checklist or atlas)
• Biogeography
• Study in sediment traps
• study in core-top sediments
• Geochemical studies
• fossil record overview.

Micropalaeontology plays a key role in stratigraphy, and we could take a lead in developing syntheses of the stratigraphy and biostratigraphy of key basins or formations. Such books might include synthesis chapters on the lithostratigraphic framework, sedimentary environments and facies, cyclostratigraphy and geochronology, macrofossil biostratigraphy, calcareous microfossil biostratigraphy, palynology, nannofossil biostratigraphy. Obviously, these should be focussed on formations or basins of current industrial and/or academic research interest.

A few possibilities:

• Plio-Pleistocene of NW Europe
• North Sea Early Paleogene
• The Chalk
• The Paratethys
• The Messinian of the Mediterranean

As micropalaeontology has become ever more diverse in scope and in applications, the range of techniques we are using has grown considerably, but there are few good manuals or information for new students. We do not think a single method in micropalaeontology volume could be practical, but we do think volumes focussed on a sub-set of techniques could be invaluable. Possibilities might include:

• Actuomicropalaeontology (methods in the biological study of microfossil groups)
• Palaeoproxies from microfossils (methods used in palaeoceanographic applications of microfossils)
• Field & Laboratory Methods in Micropalaeontology
• Imaging Microfossils
• Morphometric study of microfossils
• Statistical Techniques in Micropalaeontology
• Automated identification of Microfossils

The Heroes of Micropalaeontology theme at the last AGM showed how rich the history of micropalaeontology is, and a volume on the History of Foraminiferal Micropalaeontology is being developed. There almost certainly is the potential for more volumes with a historical focus, which might be focussed on particular fossil groups, individual scientists (e.g. Haeckel and the study of radiolaria), or particular episodes (e.g. The Deep Sea Drilling Project and the invention of palaeoceanography).

Numerous palaeoceanographic or palaeoclimatic projects involve large amounts of micropalaeontology and so provide potential for special publications. This could certainly include any IODP Leg or other research cruise with a strong palaeoceanographic focus but also EU Research Projects or other larger research projects.

The recent climate change book (full title Deep-Time Perspectives on Climate Change: Marrying the Signal from Computer Models and Biological Proxies) is an impressive example of micropalaeontologists taking the lead in synthesising results from a multidisciplinary field with a mix of review and research articles. Other topics which might be suitable for this type of coverage with a strong but not exclusive focus on micropaleontological aspects include:

• Sequence stratigraphy
• Biosteering of horizontal wells
• Cyclostratigraphy and recalibration of the geological timescale
• Biomineralization by eukaryotic protists
• The evolution of eukaryote diversity
• Biogenic fluxes to the deep sea.
• Microfossil lagerstaten
• Microfossils as provenance indicators in archaeological and forensic science.