Benthic Foraminiferal Assemblages Research Articles

Paleoceanographic changes across OAE 2 inferred from resilient foraminifera and XRF data at southern high latitudes (IODP Sites U1513 and U1516, Mentelle Basin, SW Australia)

The Oceanic Anoxic Event 2 (OAE 2), across the Cenomanian-Turonian boundary interval, was characterized by global environmental perturbations in the carbon cycle that affected the abundance and biodiversity of marine biota and their paleoecological preferences. International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Sites U1513 and U1516 in the Mentelle Basin (offshore SW Australia) reveal a continuous foraminiferal record that document the adaptative response of biota, suitable to reconstruct paleoenvironmental conditions in the water column and at the seafloor. Below and during the initial part of the OAE 2, we do not observe changes in the benthic foraminiferal assemblages dominated by Gavelinella, Gyroidinoides and Stensioeina. Agglutinated foraminifera are rare, whereas Microhedbergella and Muricohedbergella dominate the planktonic foraminiferal assemblage, indicating possible eutrophication episodes below and during the OAE 2 associated to an increase in terrigenous sediments.However, a positive peak in Zr/Rb ratios, the unique occurrence of Stensioeina truncata, and the increase in epifaunal- infaunal ratio, particularly at Site U1516, indicate a greater eolian transportation of sediments and an enhanced oxygenation at the seafloor, which might be related to the identification of the Plenus Cold Event (PCE) at high latitudes. An interval of low CaCO3 content within the peak of OAE 2 is characterized by the absence of foraminifera and dominance of siliceous organisms. It is also marked by a sudden enhancement of the hydrological cycle, probably causing a shoaling of the Calcite Compensation Depth (CCD). However, Site U1516 shows few samples with a change in the planktonic and benthic foraminiferal assemblage.Above this interval, both sites are characterized by a different benthic foraminiferal assemblage with the occurrence of Conorboides claytonensis in the uppermost part of OAE 2. At Site U1513, epi-infaunal ratio increase, planktonic foraminifera show the highest diversification, rainfall decreases, indicating a recovery towards a well-stratified water column with mesotrophic regimes and a drier environment, whereas Site U1516 shows a slower recovery.

Uncovering Foraminiferal assemblages in Pulau Redang and the Importance of FoRAM Index Calibration for Reef Monitoring in South China Sea

To mitigate adverse effects of ocean warming on coral reef degradation, resource managers increasingly explore management and regulation of local stressors to strengthen coral resilience and recovery. Comprehensive assessments and monitoring efforts offer a holistic understanding of reef dynamic ecosystems. In this study, we documented the distribution of benthic foraminiferal assemblages surrounding Pulau Redang, Malaysia, and assessed their potential for monitoring coral reef health using the Foraminifera in Reef Assessment and Monitoring (FoRAM) Index. Undeveloped (R1–R3) and developed (R4–R6) reef sites revealed distinct differences in reef conditions. Foraminiferal distribution showed Amphistegina lessonii (14–34%) as the dominant species, followed by Calcarina hispida (21%) and Calcarina mayori (19%). The Q-mode cluster analysis classified the distribution of foraminiferal assemblages in Pulau Redang into four sub-groups based on the reef ecological conditions. Group A1 and A2, represent the foraminiferal assemblage on the undeveloped west side of the island where live coral cover was >30%. Meanwhile, Group B1 and B2 represent the assemblage found in developed coastal regions with low live coral cover (≤ 20%). Additionally, the CCA results revealed a substantial influence of substrate type on the distribution of benthic foraminifera in the reef environments of Pulau Redang. FoRAM index consistently yielded high values across the study area despite varying coral reef conditions, probably due to the prevalence of Calcarina mayori in mesotrophic reefs (R4–R6), potentially distorting FoRAM values and providing a misleading indicator of reef conditions. The Modified Foram Index (MFI), calculated by excluding calcarinids, classified R3, R4, and R6 as less conducive for reef growth, aligning better with observed reef conditions. We recommend calibrating the FoRAM Index, particularly in mesotrophic reefs where calcarinids dominate foraminiferal assemblages, to enhance its precision and reliability for coral reef health monitoring and assessment within the region.

The Baroch Nala section (NE Pakistan): A new PETM standard for the eastern Tethys

We present an integrated, high-resolution, biostratigraphical, mineralogical, and geochemical characterization of the well-exposed Upper Paleocene - Lower Eocene stratigraphic succession of the Surghar Range (Baroch Nala section, NE Pakistan). The faunal assemblages from the Baroch Nala section, dominated by hyaline benthic foraminifera and green calcareous algae, along with the significant terrigenous fraction and the presence of terrestrially derived organic matter, testify to the deposition in a low-energy shallow-marine environment. Such environmental conditions, coupled with weak diagenetic effects, allow us to integrate a continuous record of carbon stable isotopes with a detailed account of the biotic response by carbonate-producing assemblages, paleoclimatic information based on clay-minerals, and information on volcanic activity based on mercury concentrations. The environmental evolution from the Late Paleocene up to the Paleocene Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) is clearly documented, including the weaker warm excursion that precedes the PETM (i.e. the Pre-Onset Excursion “POE”), and the evolution of large benthic foraminiferal assemblages. The overall record perfectly shows how the turnover in benthic carbonate producers started with the onset of the PETM and was completed by the time the excursion ended, highlighting how (geologically) brief environmental oscillations can have long lasting effects on the biosphere.

The community structure of recent ostracods in the Burullus lagoon, Egypt

This work concentrates on the recent ostracod community from the bottom sediments of Burullus lagoon (BuL), Egypt. It aims to identify the impacts of the environmental factors such salinity, substrate and pH on the ostracod community. Only four ostracod species are identified, Cyprideis torosa, Leptocythere castanea, Loxoconcha elliptica and Cypridopsis vidua. The results reflect the abundance of a sole tolerant species, C. torosa (79.59–100 %, with an average of 94.18 %), in all sites. Actually, this conclusion reflects the dominance of unfavorable conditions for increasing the biodiversity in the lagoon. Moreover, the associated benthic foraminiferal assemblage suffers from the rarity of species and the abundance of one tolerant species, Ammonia tepida. Therfore, there is an urgent need to understand the environmental conditions in the BuL. The measured low salinities are suitable for the survival of only brackish ostracod species. Moreover, the distribution and structure of the ostracod assemblage are mainly controlled by the type of bottom sediments. Actually, as the content of sand increases, particularly at sites near the connection to the sea, low numbers of individuals are recorded, whereas the number of living species increases in muddy substrate. Furthermore, the sites with sandy substrate display thick-walled carapaces, while the others with muddy substrate possess thin-walled carapaces. Also, the occurrence of Cypridopsis vidua is restricted only to the muddy substrate. In terms of the hydraulic conditions, the highest abundance of living species is recorded in the southern part, where the quiet conditions prevail. The lagoon water is alkaline, so pH has no observed effects on the ostracod community. Accordingly, salinity, sediment types and hydraulic conditions play the major role in controlling the abundabce, diversity and distribution of ostracods in the study area. Geographically, the identified ostracod species are broadly distributed in the brackish lagoons of the Mediterranean region.

Benthic Foraminiferal Assemblages as Indicators of Recent Environmental Conditions in the Northeastern East Siberian Sea

Benthic Foraminiferal Assemblages as Indicators of Recent Environmental Conditions in the Northeastern East Siberian Sea

Biostratigraphic implications of the Valanginian to Lower Hauterivian benthic foraminifers from the Vergol/La Charce composite Section (southeast France, Vocontian Basin)

The well-exposed Valanginian to Lower Hauterivian sequences of the Vocontian Basin (South-East France) are revisited based on a micropalaeontological study of material collected in the Vergol and La Charce sections. A total of 528 tests of benthic foraminifers were recorded in good state of preservation. A biometric analysis of the species Dorothia hauteriviana is proposed in order to identify its morphotypes and their biostratigraphic significance. This study aims to identify benthic foraminiferal assemblages and to propose an integrated biostratigraphy along the Valanginian to Hauterivian sequence of the Vergol and La Charce sections (Vocontian Basin). Two foraminiferal assemblages have been recognized. The Lenticulina nodosa foraminiferal assemblage ranges from the lower Valanginian to the basis of the upper Valanginian Saynoceras verrucosum ammonite standard zones (StZ). The Lenticulina busnardoi foraminiferal assemblage is recorded from the second half of S. verrucosum to the top of Neocomites peregrinus StZ. The current study shows that the Vergol and La Charce composite section represents a complete segment of Valanginian to Lower Hauterivian foraminiferal assemblages, and records several changes in taxonomic biodiversity and dynamics of population for this interval.

Diversity and paleoecological significance of zooxanthellate corals of Oligocene Qom Formation, SE Iran

Zooxanthellate corals are Iran's most abundant macrofossils in the Oligocene-early Miocene Qom Formation deposits in the NE margin of the Tethyan Seaway. Yet, basic knowledge about the diversity of these organisms and their paleoecology is still scarce. This paper uses late Rupelian–Chattian coral data from three exposed sections in the northwestern Jazmurian Lake, SE Iran, as the southeasternmost outcrops of the Qom Formation, are analyzed in terms of diversity and paleoecology. The coralline red algae and larger benthic foraminiferal assemblages associated with the corals have also been used to infer the paleoenvironmental and paleoecological conditions. The following coral genera were recognized: Leptoria, Caulastraea, Hydnophora, Astreopora, Plesiastrea, Thegioastraea, Porites, Goniopora, Platycoenia, Acropora, Tarbellastraea, Favites, Heliastraea, Stylocoenia, Ceratotrochus. The high abundance of z-corals, larger benthic foraminifera (LBF), and coralline red algae demonstrate that the deposition took place in tropical-subtropical warm waters mainly within the euphotic to the mesophotic zones. The presence of various coral fabrics including pillarstone, domestone, and rudstone allowed to infer high to moderate hydrodynamic energy in the studied sections. As well, given the interactions among corals, filter-feeders, green and red algae, bioeroders, and the surrounding environment, it seems that oligotrophic to slightly mesotrophic conditions also had prevailed in the studied area.

The Campanian-Maastrichtian benthic foraminiferal assemblages at the Elles section (Tunisia): A perspective for paleoenvironmental, paleobathymetric and sea-level fluctuation reconstruction

The Late Cretaceous Period experienced prevailing hothouse conditions that were characterized by relatively elevated atmospheric pCO2 concentrations, high global mean sea level and mostly lacking ice sheets. These conditions were interrupted by an overall global decreasing trend in temperature during the Campanian-Maastrichtian interval (83.65 to 66.04 Ma). The Upper Cretaceous sedimentary successions in Tunisia (southwestern Tethyan Ocean) like at the Elles section are regarded as unique archives for investigating paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic changes, as well as constrain oscillations of sea-level. Here, we perform high resolution quantitative analysis of the benthic foraminiferal assemblages in the Campanian-Maastrichtian interval at the Elles section in order to infer palaeoenvironmental and paleobathymetric changes in relative sea-level. The Campanian succession (Abiod Fm.) is inferred to be deposited at upper to middle bathyal (i.e., 540–675 m) and is characterized by prevailing well‑oxygenated conditions and low organic matter flux to the seafloor. The Campanian/Maastrichtian transition-coincides with the lowermost part of the El Haria Fm. deposited in outer neritic to upper bathyal settings under oligotrophic, well‑oxygenated and reduced productivity conditions. Shallower depositional setting (i.e., 436–515 m) is inferred for the Maastrichtian succession (El Haria Fm.) that is also characterized by a lowering in oxygen availability at the seafloor associated with an increase of organic matter. Eight main sea-level regressions (four in the Campanian, one at the Campanian-Maastrichtian transition and three in the Maastrichtian) have been identified and biostratigraphically constrained. These sea-level regression events are mostly accompanied by a negative excursion carbon isotope (δ13C) and their stratigraphical positions appear to be quite consistent with those previously recognized at the nearby El Kef section.

EARLY JURASSIC BENTHIC FORAMINIFERAL ECOLOGY FROM THE CENTRAL HIGH ATLAS MOUNTAINS, MOROCCO

Abstract The Central High Atlas Mountains of Morocco have an extensive record of Lower Jurassic deposits from the Tethyan Ocean. In the Amellago region, Ziz Valley, and Dadès Valley several fossilized reef outcrops preserve benthic foraminifera spanning the Pliensbachian and Toarcian stages. This study analyzes benthic foraminiferal assemblage changes across the bi-phased extinctions at the Pliensbachian/Toarcian boundary and the Jenkyns Event (also referred to as the Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Event). In Pliensbachian samples, assemblages with abundant Glomospira sp., Glomospirella sp., Siphovalvulina sp., Haurania deserta, Placopsilina sp., Mesoendothyra sp., and Everticyclammina praevirguliana are observed. Following both the Pliensbachian/Toarcian boundary event and the Jenkyns Event, benthic foraminiferal density, evenness, and species richness decreased, indicating these communities underwent ecologic stress; however, loss of diversity was most substantial between samples that pre-date and post-date the Jenkyns Event. Whereas the Pliensbachian/Toarcian boundary event coincides with the demise of the large benthic foraminifera Mesoendothyra sp. and Everticyclammina praevirguliana, the Jenkyns Event was detrimental for most clades of benthic foraminifera, including many small, resilient taxa. Based on the evidence provided, we suggest that the Pliensbachian/Toarcian boundary and the Jenkyns Event were distinct events, potentially caused by distinct environmental perturbations.

Reconstructing deep-sea oxygenation in the Western Alboran Sea Basin during Late Pleistocene-Holocene (last 37 kyrs): Insights from a multiproxy approach

A deep-sea sediment record from the Western Alboran Basin spanning the last 37 kyr has been analysed using a multiproxy approach, integrating sediment colour, magnetic susceptibility, elemental ratios, benthic foraminiferal assemblages and bioturbation, gaining new insights into Alboran Basin deep-sea environments and palaeoceanographic conditions since the Last Glacial Maximum. The combination of a diverse set of proxies made it possible to recognise the diagenetic signals and reconstruct new low-frequency events in the deep basin, recording the significant fluctuations in deep water oxygenation occurred during the studied period. From the studied data, short-term periodic low-oxygen events are recognised during Heinrich Stadials 2 and 3 (HS2 and HS3) and Greenland Interstadial GI8, showing important responses of the deep sea environments to climate climate change. Furthermore, the presence of a not previously well-defined Organic Rich Layer 2 (ORL 2) can be defined from the observations as a sequence of events transitioning between low oxygen (associated with humid conditions and Heinrich Events) and oxygenated conditions, and not as a singular low oxygenation event. In addition, the Organic Rich Layer 1 (ORL1), associated with the most recent low oxygen event has been also recognised in the record, with low oxygen conditions starting as early as 16 kyr before the present (BP) during the HS1 and spanning to 8 kyr BP with important fluctuations in environmental conditions and oxygenation. Several climate events that have been previously recognised in the Northern Hemisphere and the Mediterranean Basin can be linked to the observed changes in oxygen conditions during ORL1 deposition, for instance reoxygenation that occurred during the pre-ORL1, between the demise of Heinrich Event 1.1 (HE1.1) and the end of HS1 and the inception of the Bølling-Allerød (BA); the start of ORL1 deposition during BA with the onset of low oxygen conditions. Interestingly, the BA is punctuated by short duration reoxygenation events that can be recognised in the record and correlated to cold events observed in the North Atlantic records. In addition, there is a partial discontinuous reoxygenation during the Younger Dryas (YD), observed also in the Eastern Mediterranean and in other Mediterranean sites which was followed by the return to lower-oxygen conditions after the YD, coinciding with the start of S1 deposition. Finally, the final reoxygenation event occurs at around 8 kyr BP along with the demise of the ORL1.

Integrated record of the Late Lutetian Thermal Maximum at IODP site U1508, Tasman Sea: The deep-sea response

The Late Lutetian Thermal Maximum (LLTM) was a transient and brief global warming event recorded in the middle Eocene, at 41.52 Ma. The biotic response to the LLTM has been documented at only a few marine sites so far. Here, we present the first record of deep-sea benthic foraminiferal assemblage changes during the LLTM in the southwest Pacific at International Ocean Discovery Program Hole U1508C (1609 m water depth) in the Tasman Sea. The LLTM coincides with a negative excursion in bulk sediment δ13C (0.47‰) and benthic foraminifera δ13C (0.36‰), with changes in the relative abundance of benthic foraminiferal species and in the deep-water organic geochemistry. The decrease in diversity of the assemblages indicates environmental stress during the event, potentially linked to oxygen deficiency, as evidenced by the occurrence of dysoxic taxa (e.g. Lenticulina spp., Turrillina brevispira). Although calcareous taxa dominate, the presence of corrosion-resistant species and poorly preserved foraminiferal tests suggest slightly CaCO3-corrosive bottom waters, but no dissolution was evident. We suggest the shallowing of the thermocline and enhanced water column stratification at this site during the LLTM.

Changes in the particulate organic carbon pump efficiency since the Last Glacial Maximum in the northwestern Philippine Sea

Changes in bottom and pore water oxygenation over glacial – interglacial cycles have influenced the ocean's capacity to store particulate organic carbon regardless of its source, either the marine primary productivity or the continent-to-ocean transfer of terrestrial organic matter. In the Philippine Sea, east off Taiwan, despite being currently oligotrophic, the enhanced East Asian Winter Monsoon during the Last Glacial Maximum and the Heinrich Stadial 1 might have altered the nutrient budget in surface waters by providing nutrients from the Eurasian loess dust and deepening the vertical mixing, bringing nutrients from the nutrient-enriched Kuroshio Current subsurface waters to the surface. During the deglaciation, previous studies also suggest an overall weakening of the marine biological pump during the Heinrich Stadial 1, and the rise in sea level is expected to have led to a global significant decline in the ability of continents to bury their particulate organic carbon in marine sediments. However, changes in the continent-ocean transfer of terrestrial organic matter and on the marine biological pump around Taiwan remain poorly constrained.In the present study, we have thus aimed to reconstruct bottom – pore water oxygenation, past marine primary productivity and continental-ocean transfer of terrestrial particulate organic carbon to the ocean since the end of the Last Glacial Maximum, in order to better constrain the ability of marine sediments to capture atmospheric carbon over the past 20,000 years. To this end, sediment core MD18-3523 has been recovered from a levee of Hoping Canyon, north-east of Taiwan, in the Ryukyu forearc basin. The reconstructions were made possible by the application of multivariate statistics and transfer functions on benthic foraminiferal assemblages, by the measurement of total organic carbon concentration and by the investigation of chemical element ratios obtained from X-ray fluorescence (XRF).We observed a transition across the Bølling–Allerød and the Younger Dryas from suboxic-dysoxic bottom – pore waters during Heinrich Stadial 1 to oxic-suboxic during the Holocene, and revealed an increase in marine primary productivity during Heinrich Stadial 1 in all probability due to intensified East Asian Winter Monsoon winds. We have also identified periods of enhanced terrestrial particulate organic carbon transfer to the ocean driven by short-lived extreme events, most likely typhoons, during the Bølling–Allerød, at the beginning of the Early Holocene and the end of the Late Holocene, when the typhoon dynamics affecting Taiwan were intensified. Overall, these findings suggest an enhanced marine biological pump during the Heinrich Stadial 1 and an efficient carbon turbidity pump during the Bølling–Allerød, the Early and Late Holocene, contrasting with the western coast of Taiwan.

Morphological deformities in benthic foraminiferal assemblages from shallow marine and lagoonal environments of the western Arabian Gulf

Abstract This study examines larger and smaller benthic foraminiferal assemblages at six localities from western Arabian Gulf, documenting their diversity, abundance, and morphological deformities across a salinity gradient. Both unstained and stained samples were used to quantify species diversity, percent of deformities, and bulk quantity at each site. These samples revealed that 109 species were present and approximately one-quarter of specimens were alive during the sampling period. We observed different morphological deformities with various degrees of severity and an increasing overall percentage of deformities across a salinity gradient from 40 to 68.5 PSU (averaging >40%). Environmental analysis of marine sediment revealed no dangerous levels of anthropogenic stressors, such as trace metals or organic pollutants. Therefore, morphological deformities in the benthic foraminifera are likely salinity-induced (owing to a salinity gradient or seasonal change), as deformities are primarily observed in the adult specimens.

Return to the Ross Ice Shelf Project (RISP), Site J-9 (1977–1979): perspectives of West Antarctic Ice Sheet history from Miocene and Holocene benthic foraminifera

Abstract. In 1977–1978 and 1978–1979, the Ross Ice Shelf Project (RISP) recovered sediments from beneath the largest ice shelf in Antarctica at Site J-9 (∼82° S, 168° W), ∼450 km from open marine waters at the calving front of the Ross Ice Shelf and 890 km from the South Pole, one of the southernmost sites for marine sediment recovery in Antarctica. One important finding was the discovery of an active macrofauna, including crustaceans and fish, sustained below the ice shelf far from open waters. The sediment has a thin, unconsolidated upper unit (up to 20 cm thick) and a texturally similar but compacted lower unit (>1 m thick) containing reworked early, middle, and late Miocene diatom and calcareous benthic foraminiferal assemblages. A probable post-Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) disconformity separates the upper unit containing a dominantly agglutinated foraminiferal assemblage, from the lower unit consisting mostly of reworked Miocene calcareous benthic species, including Trifarina fluens, Elphidium magellanicum, Globocassidulina subglobosa, Gyroidina sp., and Nonionella spp. The presence of the polar planktic foraminiferal species Neogloboquadrina pachyderma and the endemic Antarcticella antarctica supports the late Miocene diatom age for the matrix of the lower unit. The microfossil assemblages indicate periods of ice sheet collapse and open-water conditions south of Site J-9 during warm intervals of the early, middle, and late Miocene, including the Miocene Climatic Optimum (∼17–14.7 Ma), demonstrating the dynamic nature of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) and Ross Ice Shelf during the Neogene. The foraminiferal assemblage of the upper unit is unique to the Ross Sea and suggests the influence of a sub-ice-shelf water mass proximal to the retreating post-LGM grounding zone. This unique assemblage is strongly dominated by the bathyal, cold-water agglutinated genus Cyclammina.

Reakcje foraminiferałów na zmiany poziomu morza na granicy środkowego karbonu w środkowych Taurydach (Turcja)

The response of benthic foraminiferal assemblages to relative sea-level changes during the mid-Carboniferous succession of the Yarıcak Formation in the Central Taurides is assessed with respect to sedimentary cyclicity and sequence stratigraphy by quantitative analysis. The data derived from the relative abundances of foraminifera have critical significance in the understanding of cyclic patterns and sea level changes in carbonate deposits. Calcareous foraminiferal groups including archaediscids, eostaffellids, irregularly coiled bilocular forms, unilocular forms, paleotextularids, biseriamminids, endothyrids, and pseudoendothyrids have been counted and analysed in this study. The mid-Carboniferous boundary succession predominantly covering uniform lithology of carbonates alternated with sandstone layers involves shallowing upward cycles used for the revealing of sea-level fluctuations. The relative abundances of these foraminiferal groups reveal a striking response to cyclicity with the reductions in the abundances towards the upper part of the cycles. Conversely, the abundances of pseudoendothyrids and endothyrids do not exhibit any considerable variations within the studied interval.

Ocean bottom-water oxygenation across the Late Miocene–Early Pliocene biogenic bloom

The Late Miocene–Early Pliocene biogenic bloom (ca. 9–3.5 millions of years ago, My) represents a period of globally heightened marine biological productivity. Paleoenvironmental studies across this interval show alternating phases of low-oxygen eutrophic and well-oxygenated oligotrophic conditions. Here, we focus on the bottom water oxygenation changes during the biogenic bloom to assess the validity of the enhanced Benthic Foraminifera Oxygen Index (EBFOI). The index was calculated for three ocean drilling sites: Ocean Drilling Program Site 1085 (southeast Atlantic), and International Ocean Discovery Program sites U1506 (southwest Pacific) and U1488 (equatorial Pacific). The quantitative study of benthic foraminiferal assemblages from Site 1488 allowed us to infer the paleoenvironmental evolution across the biogenic bloom. At this site, we document a shift from stable oxygen concentrations and seasonal input of phytodetritus (8.7–4.3 My) to short-term fluctuations between low oxygen eutrophic conditions and well-oxygenated oligotrophic conditions (4.3–3.0 My). The EBFOI calculated at sites 1085 and U1506 was cross-referenced with the published paleoenvironmental conditions. While the EBFOI proves to be a valuable tool to infer paleoenvironmental changes at the seafloor, it has limitations, as evidenced by comparisons with paleoenvironmental interpretations of Site U1488, where it does not consistently align with inferred oxygen conditions.

South Georgia marine productivity over the past 15 ka and implications for glacial evolution

Abstract. The subantarctic islands of South Georgia are located in the Southern Ocean, and they may be sensitive to future climate warming. However, due to a lack of well-dated subantarctic palaeoclimate archives, there is still uncertainty about South Georgia's response to past climate change. Here, we reconstruct primary productivity changes and infer Holocene glacial evolution by analysing two marine gravity cores: one near Cumberland Bay on the inner South Georgia shelf (GC673: ca. 9.5 to 0.3 cal. kyr BP) and one offshore of Royal Bay on the mid-shelf (GC666: ca. 15.2 cal. kyr BP to present). We identify three distinct benthic foraminiferal assemblages characterised by the dominance of Miliammina earlandi, Fursenkoina fusiformis, and Cassidulinoides parkerianus that are considered alongside foraminiferal stable isotopes and the organic carbon and biogenic silica accumulation rates of the host sediment. The M. earlandi assemblage is prevalent during intervals of dissolution in GC666 and reduced productivity in GC673. The F. fusiformis assemblage coincides with enhanced productivity in both cores. Our multiproxy analysis provides evidence that the latest Pleistocene to earliest Holocene (ca. 15.2 to 10.5 cal. kyr BP) was a period of high productivity associated with increased glacial meltwater discharge. The mid–late Holocene (ca. 8 to 1 cal. kyr BP), coinciding with a fall in sedimentation rates and lower productivity, was likely a period of reduced glacial extent but with several short-lived episodes of increased productivity from minor glacial readvances. The latest Holocene (from ca. 1 cal. kyr BP) saw an increase in productivity and glacial advance associated with cooling temperatures and increased precipitation which may have been influenced by changes in the southwesterly winds over South Georgia. We interpret the elevated relative abundance of F. fusiformis as a proxy for increased primary productivity which, at proximal site GC673, was forced by terrestrial runoff associated with the spring–summer melting of glaciers in Cumberland Bay. Our study refines the glacial history of South Georgia and provides a more complete record of mid–late Holocene glacial readvances with robust chronology. Our results suggest that South Georgia glaciers were sensitive to modest climate changes within the Holocene.

Unraveling ecological signals related to the MECO onset through planktic and benthic foraminiferal records along a mixed carbonate-siliciclastic shallow-water succession

The shallow-water Capo Mortola succession (Liguria, NW Italy) yields diverse assemblages of smaller benthic and planktic foraminifera, larger benthic foraminifera (LBF), and calcareous nannofossils. With the aim of improving the understanding of the Middle Eocene Climatic Optimum (MECO) impact on the shallow-water marine biotic communities due to global warming, we provide biostratigraphic and stable isotope data to achieve a reliable stratigraphic constraint of the MECO. The correlation of the stable isotope oxygen data with datasets of similar age from other regions suggests that only the onset of the MECO interval is recorded in the Capo Mortola section. Quantitative analyses of smaller benthic foraminiferal assemblages indicate that the shallow-water setting of Capo Mortola was not particularly affected by the onset of the MECO perturbance because no variation in nutrient supply or oxygen level were detected. A different scenario is recorded by the LBF genera Operculina and Discocyclina, which increased in abundance across the MECO onset, probably due to a rise in temperature and adapting to the increase in nutrient supply. In the upper water column, the variations in calcareous plankton communities appear to be controlled by both the MECO warming and a moderate increase in eutrophic conditions related to the enhanced hydrological cycle. Nutrients, mostly consumed in the upper water column, reached the seafloor in a limited amount, as benthic foraminifera record a meso-oligotrophic environment across the studied MECO interval.

Reconstructing hypoxia on the eastern Arabian sea continental shelf during the past ∼7400 years: A multi-proxy approach

Shallow-sea environmental variations in the eastern Arabian Sea (EAS) have been related to monsoon variability, poorly ventilated intermediate water, and primary productivity changes. To understand these conditions, benthic foraminiferal assemblages, oxygen isotope ratios, and total organic carbon content have been examined in sediment Core SK291/GC13 from the EAS. We aim to retrieve decadal to centennial time-scale changes in past oxygenation and paleoproductivity during the last 7400 calibrated years before the present (cal yr BP). Our proxy data suggest that the oxic benthic foraminifera species were dominant during ∼7400–6000 cal yr BP. The change from oxic to dysoxic occurred during ca. 6000–3500 cal yr BP, and transition from dysoxic to suboxic environmental conditions happened at ca. ∼3500 cal yr BP. These changes are contemporaneous with weakening of the Indian summer monsoon beginning at ∼5500 cal yr BP which culminated into a major arid phase so-called ca 4.2 ka event in the Indian subcontinent. The EAS experienced low productivity during the early phase of our studied interval (∼7400–6000 cal yr BP) and higher productivity in the middle Holocene (6000–3000 cal yr BP), as revealed by the total organic carbon and benthic assemblages. Furthermore, productivity increased in the warm period and decreased in the Little Ice Age on a decadal scale. The spectral analysis of total organic content and suboxic species indicates a 23-year Hale (solar) cycle during the last millennium, indicating a close relationship between solar activity and monsoon variability. The strengthening of the El Nino-Southern Oscillation perhaps amplified due to increased solar activity in the last millennium, which influenced the climate of the EAS. The study highlights paleo-oxygenation shifts based on benthic foraminiferal assemblages, which are crucial for understanding changes in the oxygen minimum zones (OMZs) and their potential impacts on marine ecosystems.

Late Miocene to Early Pliocene paleoceanographic evolution of the Central South Pacific: A deep-sea benthic foraminiferal perspective

The bottom water conditions in the Central South Pacific (CSP) and associated changes in the Lower Circumpolar Deep Water (LCDW) and Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) under warmer-than-present conditions need to be better understood. These water masses transfer their properties to the major ocean basins. We analyzed Late Miocene to Early Pliocene (5.6–3.6 Ma) marine sediment core sections from the CSP for benthic foraminifera, ice rafted debris (IRD), Ostracoda, planktic foraminifera Orbulina universa abundance, and organic geochemical proxies to assess the bottom water characteristics under warmer-than-present day conditions. A significant increase in IRD abundance between 5.3 and 4.9 Ma marks the Early Pliocene warm phase. The benthic foraminiferal assemblages indicate shifts in bottom water conditions over time in the CSP region. Between 5.6 and 5.3 Ma, predominantly oxygenated bottom water with moderate organic matter flux prevailed. This shifted to suboxic conditions with increased organic matter flux from 5.3 to 4.9 Ma. Subsequently, between 4.9 and 4.4 Ma, bottom water conditions alternated frequently between oxic and suboxic states. Enhanced bottom water formation and inflow of LCDW and AABW in the CSP during 4.4–4.0 Ma promoted oxygenated conditions, accompanied by low organic export flux. However, sluggish bottom water circulation from 4.0 to 3.6 Ma reverted to suboxic conditions, associated with increased carbon burial. Notably, productivity peaked intermittently between 5.3 and 3.6 Ma, as indicated by the occurrence of suboxic species assemblages and increase in the abundance of Orbulina universa, benthic microfauna (ostracods), and other paleoproductivity indicators.