Megabenthic communities in the waters around Svalbard during POLARSTERN cruise ARK-VIII/2 (EPOS II)

Composition and distribution of megabenthic communities around Svalbard were investigated in June/July 1991 with 20 Agassiz trawl and 5 bottom trawl hauls in depths between 100 and 2100 m. About 370 species, ranging from sponges to fish, were identified in the catches. Species numbers per station ranged from 21 to 86. Brittle stars, such as Ophiacantha bidentata, Ophiura sarsi and Ophiocten sericeum, were most important in terms of constancy and relative abundance in the catches. Other prominent faunal elements were eunephthyid alcyonarians, bivalves, shrimps, sea stars and fish (Gadidae, Zoarcidae, Cottidae). Multivariate analyses of the species and environmental data sets showed that the spatial distribution of the megabenthos was characterized by a pronounced depth zonation: abyssal, bathyal, off-shore shelf and fjordic communities were discriminated. However, a gradient in sediment properties, especially the organic carbon content, seemed to superimpose on the bathymetric pattern. Both main factors are interpreted as proxies of the average food availability, which is, hence, suggested to have the strongest influence in structuring megabenthic communities off Svalbard.

Compound specific stable isotopes, BIT, pollen and spores of Miocene to Pliocene sediments of ODP Hole 175-1085A

Pollen and stable carbon (d13C) and hydrogen (dD) isotope ratios of terrestrial plant wax from the South Atlantic sediment core, ODP Site 1085, is used to reconstruct Miocene to Pliocene changes of vegetation and rainfall regime of western southern Africa. Our results reveal changes in the relative amount of precipitation and indicate a shift of the main moisture source from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean during the onset of a major aridification 8 Ma ago. We emphasise the importance of declining precipitation during the expansion of C4 and CAM (mainly succulent) vegetation in South Africa. We suggest that the C4 plant expansion resulted from an increased equator-pole temperature gradient caused by the initiation of strong Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation following the shoaling of the Central American Seaway during the Late Miocene.

(Table 2) Radiolaria species in nodule samples from the Clarion-Clipperton province, Pacific Ocean

Radiolaria were studied in 19 manganese nodules raised from the bottom. The nodules occurred mainly on the surface of thin Quaternary sediments covering Tertiary deposits of various ages (Middle Eocene to Early Miocene). Radiolaria in nodule cores and in inner and surface layers were studied. We found 85 radiolaria species and groups of species. Usually 1-4 to 6-19 radiolaria species were detected in each of the samples. Species belonging to Middle Eocene, Late Miocene to Early Oligocene, and Oligocene to Early Miocene were found. Rare Neogene species were revealed only in fractured surface layers. Age of the nodules is mainly Oligocene. Seismic waves cause sediment vibration, loosening disintegration, and removal of suspension by bottom currents. The vibration effect causes ancient nodules to float up to the surface of Quaternary sediment. This hypothesis suggests the reason for characteristics of the Clarion-Clipperton zone: regional stratigraphic hiatus, accumulation of residual fields of nodules, and the ''floating up'' of nodules to the surface of the Quaternary sediments.

Lower Cretaceous nannofossils of the northwestern Australian margin

Moderately to sparsely nannofossiliferous Neocomian siliciclastics and rich Aptian-Albian nannofossil chalks were cored at two Leg 123 sites on the abyssal plains off northwestern Australia. At Site 765, the basal 70 m of cored section yields questionable Tithonian and Berriasian to early Hauterivian assemblages of moderate diversity containing Cruelellipsis cuvillieri, Tegumentum striatum, Speetonia colligata, and Crucibiscutum salebrosum. The overlying Hauterivianlower Aptian is represented by 140 m of sediments barren of nannofossils. Above this, the remaining 80 m of the Lower Cretaceous section has been assigned to the Rhagodiscus angustus Zone (late Aptian-early Albian in age) and the Prediscosphaera columnata Zone (middle-late Albian in age). Common species include Rhagodiscus angustus, Prediscosphaera columnata, Eprolithus floralis, Eprolithus sp., Chiastozygus litterarius, Rucinolithus irregularis, and Flabellites biforaminis. At Site 766, the Neocomian, represented by 200 m of sediment, yields C. cuvillieri, T. striatum, S. colligata, and C. salebrosum. Within the overlying Aptian-Albian sequence of 80 m, the Rhagodiscus angustus, and P. columnata zones were recognized. The paleobiogeographic patterns and implications are discussed, with special emphasis paid to the bipolar high-latitude distribution pattern of C. salebrosum in the Valanginian-Hauterivian. Biostratigraphically important species are discussed and their occurrence in the Indian Ocean is compared with one from the Tethys and Boreal realms. Two new species, Serbiscutum gaultensis and Eprolithus bettenstaedtii, are described.

Distribution of abundance of planktic foraminifera and calcareous nannofossils at DSDP Sites 17-167 and 62-463

New paleomagnetic and paleontologic data from Pacific DSDP Sites 463 and 167 define the magnetic reversals that predate the Cretaceous Normal Polarity Superchron (K-N). Data from Mid-Pacific Mountain Site 463 provide the first definition of polarity chron M0 in the Pacific deep-sea sedimentary record. Foraminiferal biostratigraphy suggests that polarity chron M0 is contained entirely within the lower Aptian Hedbergella similis Zone, in agreement with foraminiferal data from the Italian Southern Alps and Atlantic Ocean. Nannofossil assemblages also suggest an early Aptian age for polarity chron M0, contrary to results from the Italian Umbrian Apennines and Southern Alps, which place polarity chron M0 on the Barremian-Aptian boundary. Biostratigraphic dating discrepancies caused by the time-transgressive, preservational, or provincial nature of paleontological species might be reconciled by the use of magnetostratigraphy, specifically polarity chron M0 which lies close to the Barremian-Aptian boundary. At Magellan Rise Site 167, five reversed polarity zones are recorded in Hauterivian to Aptian sediments. Correlation with M-anomalies is complicated by synsedimentary and postsedimentary sliding about 25 m.y. after basement formation, producing gaps in, and duplications of, the stratigraphic sequence. The magnitude and timing of such sliding must be addressed when evaluating the stratigraphy of these oceanic-rise environments.

Benthic fauna at station FINO 1, 2005-2007

In der Nordsee wurden auf der Forschungsplattform FINO 1 Felduntersuchungen durchgeführt, um spezielle Fragen zu möglichen Auswirkungen von Offshore-Windenergieparks auf die marine Umwelt zu beantworten. Der Fokus war dabei auf die Konsequenzen für die Lebensgemeinschaft am Meeresboden gerichtet. Es wurden die benthosökologischen Prozesse im Nahbereich der Piles sowie die mittelfristige Entwicklung der Aufwuchsfauna auf der künstlichen Unterwasserstruktur dokumentiert. Die Ansammlung pelagischer Fischen um die Plattform und der Export organischen Materials von der Plattform wurden quantifiziert. Die räumliche Ausdehnung und die Erheblichkeit von Auswirkungen auf die Lebensgemeinschaften des Meeresbodens wurden anhand mathematischer Modellierung abgeschätzt. Zusätzlich wurde die Anwendbarkeit der elektrochemischen Akretionstechnologie zur Schaffung naturnaher Kalksubstrate in der Nordsee getestet und geeignete Parameter für eine erfolgreiche Umsetzung unter Nordseebedingungen ermittelt. Die auch 4,5 Jahre nach Errichtung der Plattform noch ansteigende Artenzahl der Aufwuchsfauna lässt darauf schließen, dass der Sukzessionsprozess noch nicht abgeschlossen ist. Die stark vertikal zonierte Aufwuchsfauna auf der Unterwasserkonstruktion erreicht eine Masse von ca. 5 Tonnen mit ausgeprägten saisonalen Schwankungen. Anhand von echoakustischen Untersuchungen wurden saisonal auftretende Ansammlungen pelagischer Fische um die Plattform dokumentiert. Der Nahbereich der Plattform unterschied sich durch eine Schillauflage und eine räumlich und zeitlich sehr variable Sediment- und Bodenfaunazusammensetzung deutlich von einem Referenzgebiet in 200-400 m Abstand von der Plattform. Eine konzentrische Zonierung mit unterschiedlich stark ausgeprägten Veränderungen der Bodenfauna lässt auf komplexe Veränderung des gesamten lokalen Nahrungsgefüges im Nahbereich der Plattform schließen. Anhand einer Modellierung konnte der Materialexport in die umgebenden Weichbodenbereiche für einzelne Piles und einen hypothetischen Windpark abgeschätzt werden. Die lokale Ausbildung einer hohen Biomasse auf der Unterwasserkonstruktion von WEA sowie der Export mit anschließender Sedimentation lassen zumindest lokal einen erheblichen Einfluss auf Stoff- und Energieflüsse erwarten.

Stable carbon and oxygen isotope record of foraminifera of IODP Site 303-1307

A major tipping point of Earth's history occurred during the mid-Pliocene: the onset of major Northern-Hemisphere Glaciation (NHG) and of pronounced, Quaternary-style cycles of glacial-to-interglacial climates, that contrast with more uniform climates over most of the preceding Cenozoic and continue until today (Zachos et al., 2001, doi:10.1126/science.1059412). The severe deterioration of climate occurred in three steps between 3.2 Ma (warm MIS K3) and 2.7 Ma (glacial MIS G6/4) (Lisiecki and Raymo, 2005, doi:10.1029/2004PA001071). Various models (sensu Driscoll and Haug, 1998, doi:10.1126/science.282.5388.436) and paleoceanographic records (intercalibrated using orbital age control) suggest clear linkages between the onset of NHG and the three steps in the final closure of the Central American Seaways (CAS), deduced from rising salinity differences between Caribbean and the East Pacific. Each closing event led to an enhanced North Atlantic meridional overturning circulation and this strengthened the poleward transport of salt and heat (warmings of +2-3°C) (Bartoli et al., 2005, doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2005.06.020). Also, the closing resulted in a slight rise in the poleward atmospheric moisture transport to northwestern Eurasia (Lunt et al., 2007, doi:10.1007/s00382-007-0265-6), which probably led to an enhanced precipitation and fluvial run-off, lower sea surface salinity (SSS), and an increased sea-ice cover in the Arctic Ocean, hence promoting albedo and the build-up of continental ice sheets. Most important, new evidence shows that the closing of the CAS led to greater steric height of the North Pacific and thus doubled the low-saline Arctic Throughflow from the Bering Strait to the East Greenland Current (EGC). Accordingly, Labrador Sea IODP Site 1307 displays an abrupt but irreversible EGC cooling of 6°C and freshening by ~2 psu from 3.25/3.16-3.00 Ma, right after the first but still reversible attempt of closing the CAS.