Significance of 2-methylhopane and 22,29,30Trisnorhop17(21)-ene biomarkers in holocene sediments from the Gulf of Tunis - Southern Mediterranean Sea

Abstract

The investigation of lipid biomarkers in sediments deposited during the Holocene in the Lagoon of Tunis, located at the southern edge of the Mediterranean Sea, revealed two important hopanoid biomarkers: 2-methylhopaneand 22,29,30 trisnorhop-17(21)-ene. These compounds are considered of special interest because they reveal information about climate conditions during the Late Holocene sediment deposition. These hopanoids, or bacteriohopanepolyols (BHPs), indicate a considerable bacterial contribution to the organic matter preserved in these sediments.The occurrence of 2-methylhopanein substantial amounts indicates that cyanobacteria, Rhodopseudomonas palustris bacteria, and genus Desulfovibriobacteria communities made large contributions to the sediment's organic content. In addition, the presence of these bacteria communities have been interpreted as reliable indicators of hydrologic modifications associated with the development of wetland systems during the Late Holocene.The occurrence of 22,29,30trisnorhop17(21)-ene also suggests a considerable bacterial contribution to the organic matter and indicates an immature diagenesis stage. It also reflects the development of favourable conditions to the preservation and accumulation of organic matter within an anoxic depositional environment.