(Appendix A) Abundance of selected coccolithophores in sediment core DS97-2P, North Atlantic

The calcareous nannofossil assemblages from sediment core DS97-2P from the Reykjanes Ridge have been investigated to document oceanographic changes in surface water during the Holocene. The recorded variations in coccolithophore species assemblages and accumulation rates indicate that the region was subjected to rapid changes of surface water masses throughout the entire Holocene. Coccolithophore assemblages generally are of low species diversity and consist mainly of Emiliania huxleyi and Coccolithus pelagicus ssp. pelagicus. Two major events occurred at 8.5-7 ka and at 4.5-3.5 ka, showing higher coccolith accumulation rates, suggesting that the influence of relatively warm Atlantic waters via the Irminger Current was strong in the investigated area. The coccolithophore assemblages have been compared with diatom, foraminifer and sedimentological records within the same core. These data, supported by a comparison with previously published proxy records, add credit to the hypothesis that Holocene changes did not occur uniformly across the North Atlantic. The results have highlighted the Holocene pattern in the North Atlantic, as a period influenced by strong regionalism with discrepancies in the hydrographical trends and in the distribution of the planktonic proxies.

Phytoplankton production, photosynthetic (P vs E) parameters, and particulate organic carbon and nitrogen within distinct water masses of eastern Australian coastal and shelf waters between 29 °S and 36 °S during spring 2010

The present dataset is part of an interdisciplinary project carried out on board the RV Southern Surveyor off New South Wales (Australia) from the 15th to the 31st October 2010. The main objective of the research voyage was to evaluate how the East Australian Current (EAC) affects the optical, chemical, physical, and biological water properties of the continental shelf and slope off the NSW coast.