A preliminary study of elemental geochemistry and its potential application in Antarctic Seal palaeoecology

Abstract

concentration (TN), organic carbon isotope (δ 13 C) and atomic C/N ratio shows that the organic matter in the sediments with many seal hairs has a marine origin, predominantly derived from seal excrements. Among the determined element/ oxide concentrations, S, Se, F, Zn, Hg, FeO and P 2O5 were found to be remarkably enriched in the sediments influenced by seal excrements with respect to the sediments with few or without seal hairs, and their concentrations displayed strong and positive correlations with organic matter abundance, indicating that they had the same source and transportation mechanism as the in situ organic material. A comparison of these element/oxide concentrations with the seal hair numbers showed that they had similar distribution patterns with depth, and the correlations were positive and statistically significant. Based upon these results, S, Se, F, Zn, Hg, FeO and P 2O5 in the seal excrement sediments were identified as potential bio-elements and their concentrations could potentially be used as inorganic geochemical indicators for tracking seal palaeoecological processes in the Antarctic region.