Cysts Of Heterotrophic Dinoflagellates Research Articles

The dispersal of fluvially discharged and marine, shelf-produced particulate organic matter in the northern Gulf of Mexico

Abstract. Rivers play a key role in the global carbon cycle by transporting terrestrial organic matter (TerrOM) from land to the ocean. Upon burial in marine sediments, this TerrOM may be a significant long-term carbon sink, depending on its composition and properties. However, much remains unknown about the dispersal of different types of TerrOM in the marine realm upon fluvial discharge since the commonly used bulk organic matter (OM) parameters do not reach the required level of source- and process-specific information. Here, we analyzed bulk OM properties, lipid biomarkers (long-chain n-alkanes, sterols, long-chain diols, alkenones, branched and isoprenoid glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (brGDGTs and isoGDGTs)), pollen, and dinoflagellate cysts in marine surface sediments along two transects offshore the Mississippi–Atchafalaya River (MAR) system, as well as one along the 20 m isobath in the direction of the river plume. We use these biomarkers and palynological proxies to identify the dispersal patterns of soil–microbial organic matter (SMOM), fluvial, higher plant, and marine-produced OM in the coastal sediments of the northern Gulf of Mexico (GoM). The Branched and Isoprenoid Tetraether (BIT) index and the relative abundance of C32 1,15-diols indicative for freshwater production show high contributions of SMOM and fluvial OM near the Mississippi River (MR) mouth (BIT = 0.6, FC321,15 > 50 %), which rapidly decrease further away from the river mouth (BIT < 0.1, FC321,15 < 20 %). In contrast, concentrations of long-chain n-alkanes and pollen grains do not show this stark decrease along the path of transport, and especially n-alkanes are also found in sediments in deeper waters. Proxy indicators show that marine productivity is highest close to shore and reveal that marine producers (diatoms, dinoflagellates, coccolithophores) have different spatial distributions, indicating their preferred niches. Close to the coast, where food supply is high and waters are turbid, cysts of heterotrophic dinoflagellates dominate the assemblages. The dominance of heterotrophic taxa in shelf waters in combination with the rapid decrease in the relative contribution of TerrOM towards the deeper ocean suggest that TerrOM input may trigger a priming effect that results in its rapid decomposition upon discharge. In the open ocean far away from the river plume, autotrophic dinoflagellates dominate the assemblages, indicating more oligotrophic conditions. Our combined lipid biomarker and palynology approach reveals that different types of TerrOM have distinct dispersal patterns, suggesting that the initial composition of this particulate OM influences the burial efficiency of TerrOM on the continental margin.

Marine Environmental Change Induced by Anthropogenic Activities – From a Viewpoint of Aquatic Palynomorph Assemblages Preserved in Sediment Cores of Beppu Bay, West Japan

Stratigraphic cluster analysis using aquatic palynomorphs preserved in the core sediments revealed a rapid eutrophication due to anthropogenic activities from the mid 1960s in Beppu Bay, East Kyushu, Japan. These assemblages were divided into three major units: BP-I, BP-II and BP-III, and also only dinoflagellate cyst assemblages were divided into the following four units in Beppu Bay: BP-A, BP-B, BP-C, and BP-D. Unit boundaries based on aquatic palynomorphs and dinoflagellate cysts were different except in the upper part, BP-III and BP-D, both of which clearly indicated anthropogenic eutrophication in both sea water and bottom sediments. On the other hand, in dinoflagellate cyst assemblages, Unit BP-A was characterized by stable occurrence of Spiniferites bulloideus and Spiniferites hyperacanthus, Lingulodinium machaerophorum of Gonyaulacales, and reduction of heterotrophic Peridinioid Brigantedinium spp. In Unit BP-C there was a clear decrease of L. machaerophorum. Unit BP-B was characterized by decreases of S. bulloideus, S. hyperacanthus, and L. machaerophorum, and little increase of Spniferites bentori. Unit BP-C was characterized by an increase in S. bulloideus and heterotrophic Peridinioid Echinidinium spp. Unit BP-D was subdivided into Subunit BP-D1 where dinoflagellate cysts showed a marked increase in S. bulloideus accompanied by the appearance of L. machaerophorum and Tuberculodinium vancampoae, and Subunit PB-D2 where there was a decrease of total dinoflagellate cysts. From the dinoflagellate cyst assemblages, the marine environment of the period of BP-A Unit was suggested to be warm and stable. However, L. machaerophorum started to decrease in BP-B. The clear decrease of L. machaerophorum suggest that the marine environment became cooler than that of Unit BP-A. Significant increases of S. bulloideus, S. hypearcanthus, L. machaerophorum, T. vancampoae, Brigantedinium spp., and Polykrikos kofoidii were characteristic of Unit BP-D. The increase in total dinoflagellate cyst density and the increase of the ratio of heterotrophic dinoflagellate cysts in Subunit BP-D1 are manifestations of the Oslo fjord Signal and Heterotroph Signal, respectively. In addition, the decrease in microforaminiferal lining that continued from Unit BP-C to Unit BP-D might indicate deterioration of the bottom sediment environment.

Middle Miocene dinoflagellate cyst assemblages and changes in marine productivity in western Colombia

Changes in dinoflagellate assemblages indicate regional paleoceanographic events affecting western Colombia. Integration of palynomorph, planktonic foraminifera, and calcareous nannoplankton data from a 616 m thick outcrop section in the Ladrilleros-Juan Chaco region allows the construction of a detailed and reliable chronological framework and identification of marine high-productivity intervals. Results indicate marine deposition from middle (~15 Ma) to late (~10 Ma) Miocene. Dinoflagellate cyst assemblages are consistent with known regional assemblages and include more warm water taxa than cold ones. Correlation of the palynomorphs with the other microfossils studied allows calibration of the biostratigraphic ranges of seven species of dinoflagellate cysts commonly reported from tropical zones. The ratio between autotrophic and heterotrophic dinoflagellate cysts indicates an overall increase of paleoproductivity at ~13.8 Ma. Gonyaulacoid taxa dominate the lower interval (15–13.8 Ma), while peridinioid taxa dominate the upper segment (~13.8–10.5 Ma). This change coincides with the global cooling related to the growth of the Antarctic ice sheet (~14 Ma) and presumably increased the recurrence of events like La Niña in the equatorial Pacific. These conditions increased the primary productivity in the Pacific coastal region of northwestern Colombia, and four high-productivity intervals are tentatively correlated to the Mi3a, Mi-3b, Mi-4, and Mi-5 isotope events.

Distribution of dinoflagellate cysts along the salinity gradient in two tropical estuaries along the West coast of India

Abstract Dinoflagellate cysts are known to be potential seed banks which have an essential role in providing bloom history and also serve as useful indicators of eutrophication in marine environments. The present study is focused on the surface distribution of dinoflagellate cysts along the salinity gradient in two tropical estuaries, namely Chapora and Sal in Goa along the West coast of India. Surface sediments and water samples were collected monthly from February 2016–March 2017 which included all three seasons (pre-monsoon, monsoon, post-monsoon). A total of sixteen species of dinoflagellate cysts belonging to the order, Gymnodiniales, Gonyaulacales, and Peridiniales were recorded in the surface sediments. Cysts of heterotrophic dinoflagellates dominated the assemblage in both estuaries. Based on Redundancy Analysis (RDA), it was observed that the distribution of the dinoflagellate cysts were influenced by various physico-chemical parameters in both estuaries with salinity and grain size being the main explanatory variable. Nitrate limitation is noted to be a triggering factor for dinoflagellate cyst formation. Also, yessotoxin producer species, such as Gonyaulax spinifera, encountered in both estuaries showed an inverse relationship with nitrate concentration. This suggests that, high nitrate input in these estuaries might lead to excystment of Gonyaulax spinifera eventually leading to harmful blooms under eutrophic conditions.

Dinoflagellates encystment with emphasis on blooms in Boughrara Lagoon (South-Western Mediterranean): Combined effects of trace metal concentration and environmental context

Resting cysts (RCs), vegetative cell abundance, sediment characteristics, nutrient and trace metal concentrations were investigated in fifteen stations at Boughrara Lagoon during October and November 2016. Twelve morphotypes of RC were recorded. The sampling sites showed a similar cyst assemblage trend but differed in total cyst abundance. The cysts of heterotrophic dinoflagellates dominated over the cysts of autotrophic dinoflagellates throughout the study area and were correlated to the abundance of Bacillariophyceae explained by a likely trophic relationship. The abundance of cysts was positively correlated to phosphorus concentrations measured in the sediment. As well, cysts of Polykrikos kofoidii and Scrippsiella trochoidea were significantly correlated to nitrogen concentrations in water column. The trace metal concentrations did not show any effect on cyst abundances in most cases, except for Cr on mixotrophic dinoflagellates, suggesting that metal contamination is not determinant in the encystment of dinoflagellates. Autotrophic dinoflagellates cyst abundance was dependent on sediment characteristics with the highest densities being recorded in muddy sediments. The hydrodynamics of the lagoon, characterized by a weak water circulation and a low water renewal in the South-Western zone, was considered among the environmental factors most affecting RC distribution. The dominance of potentially toxic species cysts highlights the necessity of monitoring these forms suspected to constitute the precursor of toxic blooms in this area.

Stelladinium bifurcatum n. sp., a distinctive extant thermophilic heterotrophic dinoflagellate cyst from the late Quaternary of the eastern Pacific and east equatorial Atlantic oceans

Stelladinium bifurcatum n. sp. is a large and distinctive brown heterotrophic dinoflagellate cyst recorded from Upper Pleistocene through modern sediments of the eastern Pacific, modern sediments of the western Bay of Bengal and sediment traps from the South China Sea, and Upper Pleistocene through Middle Holocene deposits of the east equatorial Atlantic. It is distinguished by prominent apical and antapical horns, numerous long processes distributed along the cingulum, tips of horns and processes that are characteristically solid or thickened and taper to points, a prominent flagellar scar, and an archeopyle formed by the second anterior intercalary plate with the operculum adnate along the right lateral margin. Stelladinium bifurcatum has been recorded in the literature under several names including “ Stelladinium reidii ” and the cyst of Protoperidinium stellatum from which it differs in having abundant cingular processes, at least one of which usually has a strongly divergent bifurcation. Re-examination of published records shows Stelladinium bifurcatum to have a tropical–subtropical neritic distribution in modern sediments of the eastern Pacific margin and to be associated with high biological productivity. Similarly in Pleistocene–Holocene sediments off west equatorial Africa, Stelladinium bifurcatum is linked to elevated sea-surface temperatures during the last deglaciation, and it serves as a marker of river discharge associated with an increase in monsoonal dynamics at this time. • The distinctive new dinoflagellate cyst Stelladinium bifurcatum n. sp. is described. • It has a tropical–subtropical modern neritic distribution associated with high biological productivity. • In Pleistocene–Holocene sediments off west equatorial Africa, Stelladinium bifurcatum serves as a marker of river discharge. • Stelladinium bifurcatum sp. nov. has a lowest known stratigraphic occurrence in the Upper Pleistocene.

Tracking Holocene palaeostratification and productivity changes in the Western Irish Sea: A multi-proxy record

The Western Irish Sea preserves an exceptionally thick (ca. 40 m) Holocene succession that is ideally suited to understanding the pattern of palaeostratification and water mass productivity changes in the region, and their relationship with sea level, sedimentation, and biota. Additionally, the presence of shallow-buried methane provides an opportunity to explore its potential impact on the local pattern of Holocene marine environmental change. Multi-proxy investigation of a cored borehole succession through the Holocene interval tracks changes from mixed to seasonally stratified conditions. In the earliest Holocene (11.2–10 ka), high productivity, mixed water conditions prevailed, with abundant and diverse foraminifera and dominant heterotrophic dinoflagellate cysts. Productivity was probably driven by high nutrient fluxes related to high rates of sedimentation (>1600 cm/kyr), in turn influenced by relatively low sea level and restricted sediment accommodation space across shelf areas to the east of the borehole site (eastern Irish Sea Basin). With rising sea level in the later part of the Early Holocene, the region evolved into a relatively lower productivity mixed water mass system, with significant changes in ecology revealed by dinoflagellate cysts and foraminifera. In the latest Early Holocene and earliest Mid Holocene (ca. 8.4–8.2 ka) a return to higher productivity is signalled by dinoflagellate cyst data; a result of seasonal stratification becoming established, evidenced by sharply increased summer sea surface temperature estimates (typically 16–17 °C) that contrast with an opposite (more positive) trend in δ18O values for benthic foraminifera. Reductions in turbulent mixing associated with stratification might have exacerbated the palaeoecological impact of shallow-buried methane associated with the borehole site, potentially evidenced by a significant change in dominant benthic foraminifera and strong, localised excursions in the benthic δ13C/δ18O record.

Postdepositional aerobic and anaerobic particulate organic matter degradation succession reflected by dinoflagellate cysts: The Madeira Abyssal Plain revisited

We report on the succession of selective degradation of dinoflagellate cyst species that can be considered representative for discrete particulate organic matter (POM) classes of different degradability. The effects of anaerobic and aerobic degradation as well as bioturbation in a natural setting are documented in high resolution by means of palynological and geochemical analyses on Madeira Abyssal Plain A- and F-turbidites. These turbidites are unique as their initial ungraded sediments are affected by a downward penetrating oxydation front.Geochemical analyses document the presence of an active downward penetrating oxidation front in the A turbidite, and a palaeo-oxidation front in the F-turbidite. In this latter turbidite, several zones can be distinguished from top to bottom: an oxidised bioturbated zone, an oxidised but not-bioturbated zone, a visible paleo-oxidation front, and a narrow nitrogenous zone overlying unoxidised sediments.We are the first to report that anaerobic degradation within the nitrogenous zones in both turbidites affects cysts of some heterotrophic dinoflagellates. The cyst species affected (Echinidinium aculeatum, Echinidinium spp., cysts of Protoperidinium monospinum and Brigantedinium spp.) exponentially decrease in this zone that is further characterised by a strong decrease in sulphur content due to sulphide oxidation. Degradation rates are different for each species. These cysts of heterotrophic dinoflagellates consist of a nitrogen-rich glycan in contrast to the cellulosic cysts walls of phototrophic dinoflagellates. Therefore, our observation supports the hypothesis that the quality of organic matter plays an important role in OM degradation in oxygen deficient environments with N-rich OM being more labile than other components in these environments.All heterotrophic species are strongly affected by aerobic degradation with their cyst concentrations exponentially decreasing with increasing oxygen exposure. Degradation rates vary between species and range von highly degradable to slightly degradable. Most strongly affected are cysts of Protoperidinium monospinum, Brigantedinium spp., and Echinidinium spp. Increasingly less affected are: Selenopemphix nephroides, Selenopemphix quanta, other Peridinioids and Echinidinium aculeatum. An effect of aerobic degradation on photosynthetic species could only be observed for Pentapharsodinium dalei. All Impagidinium species appeared to be resistant to aerobic degradation.Despite having analysed only a limited number of samples in the bioturbated zone of the F-turbidite, we have strong indications that the bioturbation can lead to the degradation of POM that is not affected by aerobic degradation alone. The cyst species Spiniferites ramosus, Impagidinium paradoxum, Lingulodinium machaerophorum, Nematosphaeropsis labyrinthus, Spiniferites spp., Impagidinium sphaericum, Spiniferites elongates and Spiniferites mirabilis do not show concentration changes in the non-bioturbated aerobic sediments but their concentrations are considerably decreased in the bioturbated part of the F-turbidite. This supports the hypothesis that bioturbation can increase the degradation of POM by e.g. increasing oxygen exposure time and/or by an alteration of aerobic and anaerobic conditions.We furthermore show that the degradation rates of POM components represented by individual cyst species differ between zones with different redox and biological conditions. This implies that POM degradation reaction rate coefficients are environment dependent. Our observation that dinoflagellate cyst species have different degradation rates ranging from extremely labile to extremely recalcitrant within the individual redox/bioturbation zones supports the hypothesis that cyst walls have a species specific molecular structure. Our results support continuum models of organic matter degradation that assume a continuous distribution of organic matter reactivity.

Diversity and distribution of dinoflagellate cysts in surface sediments from fjords of western Vancouver Island (British Columbia, Canada)

Abstract A total of 31 surface sediment samples from 16 coastal inlets in five sounds of western Vancouver Island were investigated for dinoflagellate cysts and other palynomorphs. Well-preserved and abundant dinoflagellate cysts were recovered, including a total of 32 cyst taxa belonging to four families. Total dinoflagellate cyst concentrations vary two orders of magnitude, with concentrations between 2267 and 918,584 cysts g−1. The highest values were observed in samples from Tofino Inlet. Southern sites are characterized by cysts of autotrophic dinoflagellates, mainly Operculodinium centrocarpum sensu Wall & Dale 1966. Other abundant cysts of autotrophic dinoflagellates are Spiniferites spp. and cysts of Pentapharsodinium dalei. In general, other inlets in Quatsino, Kyuquot-Nootka and Clayoquot Sounds have lower total concentrations but have more cysts of heterotrophic dinoflagellates, mainly Round brown cysts, Brigantedinium spp., and Spiny brown cysts. Neroutsos Inlet is characterized by high concentrations of Arcellacean testate amoebae. Within inlets, cyst concentrations and assemblages vary. Near the heads of the inlets, concentrations are generally lower and assemblages are dominated by cysts of autotrophic dinoflagellates, mostly O. centrocarpum sensu Wall & Dale 1966. Concentrations of cysts produced by heterotrophic dinoflagellates and their proportions in the assemblages generally increase from the head to the mouth of each inlet. Measured sedimentary biogenic silica abundances (%Opal) have consistently higher values in Clayoquot Sound and lower values in Quatsino Sound. Within individual inlets, biogenic silica generally increases in the head to mouth direction. The trend in heterotrophic cyst abundances is similar. Correlations between total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN) and terrestrial palynomorph concentrations in the sediments indicate that the organic material at sites near inlet heads are mainly derived from terrestrial input. A significant negative correlation between biogenic silica and TOC/TN ratio was observed in the dataset, but not between the total heterotrophic cyst concentrations and relative abundances of biogenic silica. Statistical analyses (PCA, RDA) indicate that the assemblages of dinoflagellate cysts and other palynomorphs, their spatial distributions, and sedimentary geochemical measurements are related to the regional environmental setting (e.g., latitudinal trends in weather, primary productivity, and upwelling) and local characteristics of the inlets (e.g., site location relative to freshwater input, inlet morphology and bathymetry, as well as possible anthropogenic influences). Process length variation of O. centrocarpum sensu Wall & Dale 1966 was measured and it is comparable to previous measurements in similar environmental settings, allowing seawater densities to be inferred. Cysts of Alexandrium spp. were found in most of the samples, with the highest abundance in the inlet heads of Kyuquot and Quatsino Sounds.

Species-specific sensitivity of dinoflagellate cysts to aerobic degradation: A five-year natural exposure experiment

Post-depositional sedimentary dinoflagellate cyst associations undergo species-selective degradation under oxic conditions. However, there is little known about the temporal relationship between oxygen concentration and bulk dinocyst degradation rate over the time scale of several years, and if this degradation is mainly microbial or chemical. Whilst the overall sensitivity of heterotrophic dinoflagellate cysts is well documented, sensitivity differences within this group have not been studied. Here we examine the rates of cyst degradation of heterotrophic species over short temporal scales across an anoxic–oxic gradient. Sediment with a known dinoflagellate cyst association largely dominated by heterotrophic dinoflagellates, were connected to trap arrays at two different locations, Cap Blanc (NW Africa) and Gotland Basin (central Baltic Sea) and exposed to four different ambient oxygen concentrations representing a complete oxic gradient from 5.1mL/L to sulphate bearing anoxic waters. Two treatments of either gauze or dialyse membrane in triplicate were established to investigate the effects of chemical or bacterial degradation. Cyst loss was significant at oxic settings, rapidly occurring within the first year of exposure (32%) whereas no significant degradation was observed for suboxic and anoxic exposures. Compiling the degradation rates of individual species under the different exposure settings reveals an overall species sensitivity ranking amongst cysts of heterotrophic species. Species of average resistance: Bitectatodinium spongium, Brigantedinium spp., Echinidinium spp., Echinidinium aculeatum, and Gymnodinium trapeziforme. Species more resistant than average: Stelladinium robustum and Trinovantedinium applanatum. We observe that oxic degradation of cysts of heterotrophic dinoflagellates is fast and selective with maximal cyst association changes during the first year of oxic exposure. These aspects have to be taken into account in palaeoenvironmental and palaeoceanographic reconstructions where bottom/pore water conditions of the upper sediments are oxygenated.

Effect of nutrient pollution on dinoflagellate cyst assemblages across estuaries of the NW Atlantic

We analyzed surface sediments from 23 northeast USA estuaries, from Maine to Delaware, and nine estuaries from Prince Edward Island (PEI, Canada), to determine how dinoflagellate cyst assemblages varied with nutrient loading. Overall the abundance of cysts of heterotrophic dinoflagellates correlates with modeled nitrogen loading, but there were also regional signals. On PEI cysts of Gymnodinium microreticulatum characterized estuaries with high nitrogen loading while the sediments of eutrophic Boston Harbor were characterized by high abundances of Spiniferites spp. In Delaware Bay and the Delaware Inland Bays Polysphaeridium zoharyi correlated with higher temperatures and nutrient loading. This is the first study to document the dinoflagellate cyst eutrophication signal at such a large geographic scale in estuaries, thus confirming their value as indicators of water quality change and anthropogenic impact.

Marine Palynomorphs Dominated by Heterotrophic Organism Remains in the Tropical Coastal Shallow-Water Sediment; the Case of Selangor Coast and the Estuary of the Manjung River in Malaysia

Abstract. We aimed to clarify and quantify the abundance of palynomorphs of tropical coastal marine shallow-water sediments collected from Oman, Malaysia, Okinawa and also the Sanriku region of Japan for making a comparison with temperate areas. Palynomorphs in these samples contained phototrophic and heterotrophic dinoflagellate cysts, acritarchs, resting cells of Prasinophyceae and Chrysophyceae, tintinnomorphs, microforaminiferal linings, testate amoebae and resting eggs and body fragments of copepods. The sediment samples from Malaysia, Oman, and Okinawa were characterized by dominance of heterotrophic marine palynomorphs, in particular microforaminiferal linings and heterotrophic dinoflagellate cysts, while the samples from Sanriku were different and dominated by phototrophic and heterotrophic dinoflagellate cysts. In addition subtropical-tropical assemblages were characterized by low cell/grain concentrations, especially phototrophic dinoflagellate cysts. These characteristics of marine palynomorphs...

High resolution dinoflagellate cyst record of environmental change in Effingham Inlet (British Columbia, Canada) over the last millennium

We present a high resolution sedimentary record of dinoflagellate cysts spanning the last ~900years recovered from Effingham Inlet, a glacial fjord on the west coast of Vancouver Island, Canada. The combination of seasonal coastal upwelling supporting high levels of marine primary productivity in surface waters, together with restricted bottom water circulation in the silled fjord, fosters the preservation of laminated sediments in the inner basin of Effingham Inlet. Geochemical data are used to assess the sedimentary facies of the core, which is composed primarily of laminated units (50.2%) occasionally interrupted by “seismites” (39.5%) and homogenous units (10.2%). The chronology of the ~2m-long core is based on varve counting and fifteen 14C dates, and is anchored by a seismite previously dated at AD 1946.The dinoflagellate cyst assemblages are diverse (total of 47 taxa), abundant (average concentrations of 102,900cystg−1 of dry sediment), and characterized by a proportionally equal contribution of autotrophic and heterotrophic cyst taxa in most samples. Overall, cyst assemblages are characterized by Operculodinium centrocarpum (36.2%) accompanied by Brigantedinium spp. (18.0%) and Dubridinium spp. (6.6%). Multivariate analyses are used to extract the dominant patterns of variability in autotrophic and heterotrophic dinoflagellate cyst assemblages separately, and help in identifying the temperature and primary productivity gradients encoded in the cyst sedimentary record in this particular estuary.Specific intervals identified in the dinoflagellate cyst record are interpreted to represent the local expression of the “Medieval Climate Anomaly” (from the base of the record, ~AD 1090 to 1230), the “Little Ice Age” (~AD 1230 to late 19th century) and warming in the second half of the 20th century. The timing of these intervals are consistent with the regional paleoclimate and help constrain past climatic and oceanographic variability on the west coast of Vancouver Island. The origin of homogenous units in the sedimentary record of Effingham Inlet and paleoseismicity in the region are also discussed.

High resolution sedimentary record of dinoflagellate cysts reflects decadal variability and 20th century warming in the Santa Barbara Basin

We present a continuous record of dinoflagellate cysts from a core of laminated sediments collected in the Santa Barbara Basin (SBB), off Southern California. The core spans the last ∼260 years and is analysed at biennial (two-year) resolution. Variations in dinoflagellate cyst assemblages are compared with 20th century historical changes, and are used to examine changes in primary productivity and species composition, which are bound to the variability in upwelling and sea-surface temperature (SST) in the region.Cysts produced by heterotrophic dinoflagellates dominate the assemblages. In particular, Brigantedinium spp. (on average 64.2% of the assemblages) are commonly associated with high levels of primary productivity, typically observed under active upwelling conditions, when nutrient supply is higher. Other heterotrophic taxa such as cysts of Protoperidinium americanum, Protoperidinium fukuyoi, Protoperidinium minutum and Archaeperidinium saanichi, all Echinidinium species, Quinquecuspis concreta and Selenopemphix undulata are more abundant in the early part of the record (∼1750s–1870s). These taxa are generally associated with high primary productivity and are observed predominantly during intervals marked by relatively variable conditions of SST, stratification and nutrient loading. The 20th century is marked by an increase in several species of autotrophic affinity, primarily Lingulodinium machaerophorum and Spiniferites ramosus. In recent surface sediments from the region, these species are more abundant in the Southern California Bight, and they are associated with conditions of relaxed upwelling in the SBB (typically observed during summer and fall), when SST is higher and nutrient supply is moderate. Their increasing concentrations since the early 20th century reflect warmer SST and possibly stronger stratification during the warmest season. Taken together, the changes in cyst assemblages provide further evidence that persistently warmer conditions in the SBB began affecting marine populations by the late 1920s.Decadal-scale variations in primary productivity are encoded in the heterotrophic dinoflagellate cyst record, with higher (lower) concentrations of heterotrophic taxa occurring during “cool” (“warm”) phases of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) index. Wavelet analysis of heterotrophic taxa concentrations suggests a weaker influence of the PDO on biota of the region during the 19th century.

Palaeoenvironmental reconstruction and biostratigraphy with marine palynomorphs of the Plio–Pleistocene in Tjörnes, Northern Iceland

Deposits from the Tjörnes Peninsula in northern Iceland enable the assessment of past ocean currents and the influence of the nearby island. Most palaeoecological studies with dinoflagellate cysts from the northern and central Atlantic focus on oceanic or shelf settings and deal with outer neritic and oceanic species. Dinoflagellate cyst studies of marginal marine settings are scarce and represent only short time intervals. The Tjörnes section however accommodates 1200m of sediments that are mainly shallow marine. The sediments are attributed to the Lower Pliocene Tjörnes beds and the overlying Upper Pliocene to Pleistocene Breidavík Group. The dinoflagellate cysts and other marine palynomorphs from 68 samples from the Tjörnes beds and 20 samples from the Breidavík Group are studied. The deposits are divided into five dinoflagellate cyst assemblage zones (DAZ) and one barren interzone (BIZ). The changes in the assemblages proved to be independent of the changes in bathymetry of the sedimentary environment. Heterotrophic dinoflagellate cysts dominate in DAZ1. An abrupt impoverishment in species diversity is observed in DAZ2 when autotrophic species dominate the assemblage. Slightly preceding the entrance of Pacific molluscs in the area in unit 14 of the Serripes Zone, heterotrophic species (unit 12/13) re-enter the area in DAZ3. The marked decrease and return of the heterotrophic species does not relate to conditions of preservation, but may result from the loss of nutrients. The upper part of DAZ1 and the base of DAZ3 reflect major changes in the palaeoceanography and span a period during which the polar front may have moved temporarily from the area. The first event situated at the top of DAZ1 occurred in litholog unit 4 halfway the Tapes Zone between circa 5 and 4.8Ma. The second event at the top of litholog unit 12 around 4.5Ma has been linked to the shoaling of the Central American Seaway. Heterotrophic dinoflagellates disappear almost completely from the area during the deposition of the Pleistocene Breidavík Group (DAZ4-5). A transition from a heterotrophic dominated assemblage to an autotrophic dominated assemblage is observed in the Hörgi Formation (DAZ4a). An assemblage dominated by autotrophic cold water species, comparable to the present-day assemblage of the area north of Iceland, occurs from unit 10 in the Pleistocene Svarthamar Member on (DAZ5). This study underscores that the distribution of temperature sensitive dinoflagellate cysts is influenced by the availability of nutrients and changes in ocean currents.

Late Quaternary climatic and oceanographic changes in the Northeast Pacific as recorded by dinoflagellate cysts from Guaymas Basin, Gulf of California (Mexico)

A high‐resolution record of organic‐walled dinoflagellate cyst production in Guaymas Basin, Gulf of California (Mexico) reveals a complex paleoceanographic history over the last ~40 ka. Guaymas Basin is an excellent location to perform high resolution studies of changes in late Quaternary climate and paleo‐productivity because it is characterized by high primary productivity, high sedimentation rates, and low oxygen bottom waters. These factors contribute to the deposition and preservation of laminated sediments throughout large portions of the core MD02‐2515. In this study, we document dinoflagellate cyst production at a centennial to millennial scale throughout the late Quaternary. Based on the cyst assemblages, three dinoflagellate cyst zones were established and roughly correspond to Marine Isotope Stages (MISs) 1 to 3. MISs 1 and 3 are dominated by cysts of heterotrophic dinoflagellates, whereas MIS 2 is characterized by enhanced variability and a greater proportion of cysts produced by autotrophic taxa. The most dominant dinoflagellate cyst taxa found throughout the core were Brigantedinium spp. and Operculodinium centrocarpum. Dansgaard‐Oeschger event 8 is observed in the dinoflagellate cyst record where it is characterized by an increase in warm taxa, such as Spiniferites pachydermus. Other intervals of interest are the Younger Dryas where warmer conditions are recorded and the Holocene which is characterized by the consistent presence of tropical species Stelladinium reidii, Tuberculodinidum vancampoae, Bitectatodinium spongium, and an increase in Quinquecuspis concreta. Changes in cyst assemblages, concentrations, and species diversity, along with geochemical data reflect major orbital to millennial‐scale climatic and oceanographic changes.

Isotopic and palynological evidence for a new Early Jurassic environmental perturbation

The Early Jurassic Epoch was a predominantly greenhouse phase of Earth history, but a comprehensive understanding of its climate dynamics is hampered by a lack of high resolution multi-proxy environmental records. Here we report a geologically brief (approximately several hundred thousand years) negative carbon isotope excursion (CIE) of 2–3‰ in both marine and terrestrial materials, recognised for the first time for the Late Sinemurian Substage (Early Jurassic, ~194Ma) of eastern England. The Late Sinemurian carbon isotope excursion, which is termed the S-CIE herein, is accompanied by peaks in the abundance of the pollen grain Classopollis classoides and the dinoflagellate cyst Liasidium variabile. Classopollis classoides was thermophilic and is a reliable proxy for hot/warm climatic conditions. Liasidium variabile is interpreted as thermophilic and eutrophic using multivariate statistics, its fluorescence properties being similar to living heterotrophic dinoflagellate cysts, and its association with C. classoides. Moreover, the morphological and ecological similarities of L. variabile to the Cenozoic genus Apectodinium are noteworthy. The co-occurrence of the acmes of C. classoides and L. variabile with a negative CIE is interpreted here as having wide geographical significance due to the marine and terrestrial carbon isotope signals being precisely in phase within an open marine setting. This is consistent with an oceanic–atmospheric injection of isotopically-light carbon, coupled with global warming and increased marginal marine nutrient supply, possibly the result of increased precipitation due to an enhanced hydrological cycle or a seasonally-stratified water column. A probable sea level rise of at least regional extent has been identified at the L. variabile event in other records, which supports this putative phase of global warming. All these features are common to the Paleocene/Eocene thermal maximum (PETM, ~56Ma), and there are also similarities with the Early Toarcian oceanic anoxic event (T-OAE, ~182Ma).

A 26,000-year integrated record of marine and terrestrial environmental change off Gabon, west equatorial Africa

Dinoflagellate cysts, pollen and charred cuticle fragments from two sediment cores (giant piston Calypso core MD03-2708 and giant gravity Casq core MD03-2708CQ) collected off the Ogooué River mouth, Gabon (01°10.33′S–08°19.01′E, 920 m water depth) have been analysed to identify the direction and timing of marine–terrestrial environmental changes over western equatorial Africa during the last 26,000 yr. Changes in the proxy records indicate that both terrestrial and oceanic domains off Gabon were impacted synchronously by significant climate changes during the last glacial–interglacial transition and Holocene. Leading into, and during, the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), heterotrophic dinoflagellate cysts and Ca X-ray fluorescence intensity suggest nutrient enrichment off the river mouth, while pollen records indicate expansions of open forest, savannah woodland, and the Afromontane forest in the catchment area. From the deglaciation to mid-Holocene, however, a marked decrease in Brigantedinium spp. as well as in Poaceae, Cyperaceae and Podocarpus pollen reflects a reduction in nutrient supply to the coastal ocean in parallel with a reduction in grassland, herbaceous communities and Afromontane forest within the catchment. A sharp decline or even disappearance of heterotrophic species during this period is almost contemporaneous with an appearance of Operculodinium aguinawense, reflecting enhanced river influence in the study area. A marked increase of Rhizophora (mangrove) pollen during this transition also indicates eustatic sea-level rise after the LGM which forced a major expansion of the mangrove ecosystem across the gradually submerging shelf. The combination during the late Holocene of a reoccurrence of heterotrophic dinoflagellate cysts with increased Poaceae, Cyperaceae and Podocarpus pollen indicates enhanced nutrient supply to the ocean concordant with a shift to cooler/drier conditions over the Gabon basin. This appears to be linked to a deterioration of the monsoon system induced by the low sea-surface temperatures in the tropical Atlantic Ocean in association with decreased summer insolation.

30 000 years of productivity and salinity variations in the late Quaternary Cariaco Basin revealed by dinoflagellate cysts

Dinoflagellate cysts and other palynomorphs were studied from ODP Hole 1002C in the Cariaco Basin over the past 30 000 years. The assemblage shifts between a dominance of heterotrophic dinoflagellate cysts (mainly Brigantedinium spp., Lejeunecysta spp., Selenopemphix nephroides and Stelladinium reidii) and autotrophic dinoflagellate cysts (mainly Spiniferites ramosus, Lingulodinium machaerophorum and Operculodinium centrocarpum). These assemblage shifts are associated with stronger upwelling during stadials and stronger river influx during interstadials. Increases in productivity caused by enhanced upwelling are coupled to improved preservation and vice versa. More stratified water is indicated by higher abundances of L. machaerophorum and succeeds Heinrich events. The average process length of L. machaerophorum can be used to track changes in salinity, since this shows a similar pattern as the δ18OSW (paired Mg/Ca −δ18O) reconstruction. During the last glacial, conditions were more saline than during the current interglacial. On a millennial scale, changes in salinity are opposite to open ocean salinities and the hydrological proxies, which can be explained by a modulation of the signal by stratification, isolation of the Basin or advection of freshwater masses. These results highlight both generalities and particularities of the palaeoecological record of this tropical semi‐enclosed basin.

Dinoflagellate Cysts in Coastal Sediments as Indicators of Eutrophication: A Case of Gwangyang Bay, South Sea of Korea

Diatom densities in the surface water and dinoflagellate cysts in bottom sediments of Gwangyang Bay were studied to determine changes in the phytoplankton community structure in response to anthropogenic eutrophication and to assess the use of dinoflagellate cysts as indicators of coastal eutrophication. Our results show that, in nutrient-enriched environments, diatoms are particularly benefited from the nutrients supplied and, as a consequence, heterotrophic dinoflagellates that feed on the diatoms can be more abundant than autotrophic dinoflagellates. In short-core sediment records, a marked shift in autotrophic–heterotrophic dinoflagellate cyst compositions occurred at a depth of approximately 9–10 cm corresponding to the timing of the 1970s industrialization around Gwangyang Bay. This tentatively indicates that diatom and dinoflagellate communities here have undergone a considerable change mainly due to increased nutrient loadings from both domestic sewage effluent and industrial pollution. Our study suggests a possible potential use of dinoflagellate cysts in providing retrospective information on the long-term effects of coastal eutrophication.