Dinoflagellate cyst counts on sediment core ABC26

DOI

In the reconstruction of bioproductivity in surface waters the extent to which a proxy has been diagenetically altered is often a matter of debate. Here we investigate how organic- and calcareous-walled dinoflagellate cysts can be used for separately estimating bioproductivity and oxygen related diagenesis. This is achieved by studying the cyst content of the most recent Eastern Mediterranean sapropel S1, that is thought to have been deposited under conditions of increased primary production in surface waters and possible anoxia in the bottom waters. Based on chemical evidence, it has been shown that the visible sapropelic layer represents only the residual lower part of what was initially a much thicker sapropel, as a result of post-depositional decay of organic matter related to oxygen penetration into the sediments. The effect of aerobic organic matter decay on the cyst associations is studied through the comparison of the unaffected, lower part of the initial sapropel and the 'oxidised' upper part. Comparing the unaffected sapropelic sediments with pre- and post-sapropelic material gives insight into the relationship between fossil cysts assemblages and palaeoproductivity.Impagidinium aculeatum, Impagidinium patulum, Operculodinium israelianum, Polysphaeridium zoharyi and probably Impagidinium spp., Impagidinium paradoxum and Nematosphaeropsis labyrinthus are very resistant against aerobic decay and their accumulation rates appear to be primarily related to productivity in surface waters. Protoperidinium and Echinidinium species, on the other hand, are shown to be very sensitive and can be used to recognise oxygen-related decay. The calcareous-walled dinoflagellate cysts seem to be unaffected by oxic organic matter decay in Mediterranean sediments.

Related EU-project: Sapropels and Paleoceanography (SAP): palaeoceanographic, palaeoclimatic, palaeoenvironmental and diagenetic aspects of sapropel formation in the eastern Mediterranean (MAS3-CT97-0137 MAST-III).

Supplement to: Zonneveld, Karin A F; Versteegh, Gerard J M; de Lange, Gert J (2001): Palaeoproductivity and post-depositional aerobic organic matter decay reflected by dinoflagellate cyst assemblages of the Eastern Mediterranean S1 sapropel. Marine Geology, 172(3-4), 181-195

Identifier
DOI https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.88306
Related Identifier IsSupplementTo https://doi.org/10.1016/S0025-3227(00)00134-1
Metadata Access https://ws.pangaea.de/oai/provider?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=datacite4&identifier=oai:pangaea.de:doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.88306
Provenance
Creator Zonneveld, Karin A F ORCID logo; Versteegh, Gerard J M ORCID logo; de Lange, Gert J ORCID logo
Publisher PANGAEA
Publication Year 2001
Funding Reference Sixth Framework Programme https://doi.org/10.13039/100011103 Crossref Funder ID 36949 https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/36949 Southern European Seas: Assessing and Modelling Ecosystem Changes
Rights Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
OpenAccess true
Representation
Resource Type Supplementary Dataset; Dataset
Format text/tab-separated-values
Size 979 data points
Discipline Geosciences; Natural Sciences
Spatial Coverage (24.928 LON, 33.355 LAT); Levantine Basin