(Appendix B) Dinoflagellate cysts in Southeast Pacific Ocean surface sediments

orty-eight surface sediment samples from the southeast (SE) Pacific (25-53°S) are investigated for the determination of the spatial distribution of organic-walled dinoflagellate cysts along the western South American continental margin. Fifty-five different taxa are recorded and reflect oceanic or coastal assemblages. The oceanic assemblages are characterised by low cyst concentrations and the dominance of autotrophs, while the coastal assemblages generally contain a higher number of cysts, which are mainly produced by heterotrophic species. Highest cyst concentrations are observed in the active upwelling system offshore Concepción (35-37°S). Brigantedinium spp., Echinidinium aculeatum, Echinidinium granulatum/delicatum and cysts of Protoperidinium americanum dominate assemblages related to upwelling. Echinidinium aculeatum appears to be the best indicator for the presence of all year round active upwelling cells. Other protoperidinioid cysts may also occur in high relative abundances in coastal regions outside active upwelling systems, if the availability of nutrients, co-responsible for the presence/absence of their main food sources such as diatoms and other protists, is sufficient. The importance of nutrient availability as a determining environmental variable influencing cyst signals on a regional scale (SE Pacific) is demonstrated through statistical analyses of the data. Because of the importance of nutrients, uncertainties about the outcomes of quantitative sea-surface temperature (SST) reconstructions (Modern Analogue Technique) based on dinoflagellate cysts may arise, since no interaction between different hydrographical variables is considered in this approach. The combination of the SE Pacific surface sample dataset with other published cyst data from the Southern Hemisphere resulted in a database which includes 350 samples: the 'SH350 database'. This database is used to test the accuracy of the quantitative reconstructions by calculating and comparing the estimated versus observed values for each site. An attempt to perform quantitative SST reconstructions on the last 25 cal ka of site ODP1233 (41°S; 74°27'W) is made and again stresses the importance of other environmental variables such as nutrient availability in determining the dinoflagellate cyst assemblages.

Planktic foraminiferal and sea surface temperature record during the last 1 Myr across the Subtropical Front, Southwest Pacific

Planktic foraminiferal faunas and modern analogue technique estimates of sea surface temperature (SST) for the last 1 million years (Myr) are compared between core sites to the north (ODP 1125, 178 faunas) and south (DSDP 594, 374 faunas) of the present location of the Subtropical Front (STF), east of New Zealand. Faunas beneath cool subtropical water (STW) north of the STF are dominated by dextral Neogloboquadrina pachyderma, Globorotalia inflata, and Globigerina bulloides, whereas faunas to the south are strongly dominated by sinistral N. pachyderma (80-95% in glacials), with increased G. bulloides (20-50%) and dextral N. pachyderma (15-50%) in interglacials (beneath Subantarctic Water, or SAW). Canonical correspondence analysis indicates that at both sites, SST and related factors were the most important environmental influences on faunal composition. Greater climate-related faunal fluctuations occur in the south. Significant faunal changes occur through time at both sites, particularly towards the end of the mid-Pleistocene climate transition, MIS18-15 (e.g., decline of Globorotalia crassula in STW, disappearance of Globorotalia puncticulata in SAW), and during MIS8-5. Interglacial SST estimates in the north are similar to the present day throughout the last 1 Myr. To the south, interglacial SSTs are more variable with peaks 4-7 °C cooler than present through much of the early and middle Pleistocene, but in MIS11, MIS5.5, and early MIS1, peaks are estimated to have been 2-4 °C warmer than present. These high temperatures are attributed to southward spread of the STF across the submarine Chatham Rise, along which the STF appears to have been dynamically positioned throughout most of the last 1 Myr. For much of the last 1 Myr, glacial SST estimates in the north were only 1-2 °C cooler than the present interglacial, except in MIS16, MIS8, MIS6, and MIS4-2 when estimates are 4-7 °C cooler. These cooler temperatures are attributed to jetting of SAW through the Mernoo Saddle (across the Chatham Rise) and/or waning of the STW current. To the south, glacial SST estimates were consistently 10-11 °C cooler than present, similar to temperatures and faunas currently found in the vicinity of the Polar Front. One interpretation is that these cold temperatures reflect thermocline changes and increased Circumpolar Surface Water spinning off the Subantarctic Front as an enhanced Bounty Gyre along the south side of the Chatham Rise. For most of the last 1 Myr, the temperature gradient across the STF has been considerably greater than the present 4 °C. During glacial episodes, the STF in this region did not migrate northwards, but instead there was an intensification of the temperature gradient across it (interglacials 4-11 °C; glacials 8-14 °C).

Planktonic foraminiferal faunas from surface-sediment samples from the South China Sea and the western Pacific

We present 30 new planktonic foraminiferal census data of surface sediment samples from the South China Sea, recovered between 630 and 2883 m water depth. These new data, together with the 131 earlier published data sets from the western Pacific, are used for calibrating the SIMMAX-28 transfer function to estimate past sea-surface temperatures. This regional SIMMAX method offers a slightly better understanding of the marginal sea conditions of the South China Sea than the linear transfer function FP-12E, which is based only on open-ocean data. However, both methods are biased toward the tropical temperature regime because of the very limited data from temperate to subpolar regions. The SIMMAX formula was applied to sediment core 17940 from the northeastern South China Sea, with sedimentation rates of 20-80 cm/ka. Results revealed nearly unchanged summer temperatures around 28°C for the last 30 ky, while winter temperatures varied between 19.5°C in the last glacial maximum and 26°C during the Holocene. During Termination 1A, the winter estimates show a Younger Dryas cooling by 3°C subsequent to a temperature optimum of 24°C during the Bölling=Alleröd. Estimates of winter temperature differences between 0 and 100 m water depth document the seasonal variations in the thickness of the mixed layer and provide a new proxy for estimating past changes in the strength of the winter monsoon.

Relative abundance of dinoflagellate cysts in surface sediments and dinoflagellate counts from three sediment cores from the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean

In this study we investigate the potential of organic-walled dinoflagellate cysts (dinocysts) as tools for quantifying past sea-surface temperatures (SST) in the Southern Ocean. For this purpose, a dinocyst reference dataset has been formed, based on 138 surface sediment samples from different circum-Antarctic environments. The dinocyst assemblages of these samples are composed of phototrophic (gonyaulacoid) and heterotrophic (protoperidinioid) species that provide a broad spectrum of palaeoenvironmental information. The relationship between the environmental parameters in the upper water column and the dinocyst distribution patterns of individual species has been established using the statistical method of Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA). Among the variables tested, summer SST appeared to correspond to the maximum variance represented in the dataset. To establish quantitative summer SST reconstructions, a Modern Analogue Technique (MAT) has been performed on data from three Late Quaternary dinocyst records recovered from locations adjacent to prominent oceanic fronts in the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean. These dinocyst time series exhibit periodic changes in the dinocyst assemblage during the last two glacial/interglacial-cycles. During glacial conditions the relative abundance of protoperidinioid cysts was highest, whereas interglacial conditions are characterised by generally lower cyst concentrations and increased relative abundance of gonyaulacoid cysts. The MAT palaeotemperature estimates show trends in summer SST changes following the global oxygen isotope signal and a strong correlation with past temperatures of the last 140,000 years based on other proxies. However, by comparing the dinocyst results to quantitative estimates of summer SSTs based on diatoms, radiolarians and foraminifer-derived stable isotope records it can be shown that in several core intervals the dinocyst-based summer SSTs appeared to be extremely high. In these intervals the dinocyst record seems to be highly influenced by selective degradation, leading to unusual temperature ranges and to unrealistic palaeotemperatures. We used the selective degradation index (kt-index) to determine those intervals that have been biased by selective degradation in order to correct the palaeotemperature estimates. We show that after correction the dinocyst based SSTs correspond reasonably well with other palaeotemperature estimates for this region, supporting the great potential of dinoflagellate cysts as a basis for quantitative palaeoenvironmental studies.

Sea-surface temperature and sea ice distribution of the Southern Ocean at the EPILOG Last Glacial Maximum

Based on the quantitative study of diatoms and radiolarians, summer sea-surface temperature (SSST) and sea ice distribution were estimated from 122 sediment core localities in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific sectors of the Southern Ocean to reconstruct the last glacial environment at the EPILOG (19.5-16.0 ka or 23 000-19 000 cal yr. B.P.) time-slice. The statistical methods applied include the Imbrie and Kipp Method, the Modern Analog Technique and the General Additive Model. Summer SSTs reveal greater surface-water cooling than reconstructed by CLIMAP (Geol. Soc. Am. Map Chart. Ser. MC-36 (1981) 1), reaching a maximum (4-5 °C) in the present Subantarctic Zone of the Atlantic and Indian sector. The reconstruction of maximum winter sea ice (WSI) extent is in accordance with CLIMAP, showing an expansion of the WSI field by around 100% compared to the present. Although only limited information is available, the data clearly show that CLIMAP strongly overestimated the glacial summer sea ice extent. As a result of the northward expansion of Antarctic cold waters by 5-10° in latitude and a relatively small displacement of the Subtropical Front, thermal gradients were steepened during the last glacial in the northern zone of the Southern Ocean. Such reconstruction may, however, be inapposite for the Pacific sector. The few data available indicate reduced cooling in the southern Pacific and give suggestion for a non-uniform cooling of the glacial Southern Ocean.

Diatom abundance in surface sediments of the Southern Ocean

Based on the quantitative analysis of diatom assemblages preserved in 274 surface sediment samples recovered in the Pacific, Atlantic and western Indian sectors of the Southern Ocean we have defined a new reference database for quantitative estimation of late-middle Pleistocene Antarctic sea ice fields using the transfer function technique. The Detrended Canonical Analysis (DCA) of the diatom data set points to a unimodal distribution of the diatom assemblages. Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) indicates that winter sea ice (WSI) but also summer sea surface temperature (SSST) represent the most prominent environmental variables that control the spatial species distribution. To test the applicability of transfer functions for sea ice reconstruction in terms of concentration and occurrence probability we applied four different methods, the Imbrie and Kipp Method (IKM), the Modern Analog Technique (MAT), Weighted Averaging (WA), and Weighted Averaging Partial Least Squares (WAPLS), using logarithm-transformed diatom data and satellite-derived (1981-2010) sea ice data as a reference. The best performance for IKM results was obtained using a subset of 172 samples with 28 diatom taxa/taxa groups, quadratic regression and a three-factor model (IKM-D172/28/3q) resulting in root mean square errors of prediction (RMSEP) of 7.27% and 11.4% for WSI and summer sea ice (SSI) concentration, respectively. MAT estimates were calculated with different numbers of analogs (4, 6) using a 274-sample/28-taxa reference data set (MAT-D274/28/4an, -6an) resulting in RMSEP's ranging from 5.52% (4an) to 5.91% (6an) for WSI as well as 8.93% (4an) to 9.05% (6an) for SSI. WA and WAPLS performed less well with the D274 data set, compared to MAT, achieving WSI concentration RMSEP's of 9.91% with WA and 11.29% with WAPLS, recommending the use of IKM and MAT. The application of IKM and MAT to surface sediment data revealed strong relations to the satellite-derived winter and summer sea ice field. Sea ice reconstructions performed on an Atlantic- and a Pacific Southern Ocean sediment core, both documenting sea ice variability over the past 150,000 years (MIS 1 - MIS 6), resulted in similar glacial/interglacial trends of IKM and MAT-based sea-ice estimates. On the average, however, IKM estimates display smaller WSI and slightly higher SSI concentration and probability at lower variability in comparison with MAT. This pattern is a result of different estimation techniques with integration of WSI and SSI signals in one single factor assemblage by applying IKM and selecting specific single samples, thus keeping close to the original diatom database and included variability, by MAT. In contrast to the estimation of WSI, reconstructions of past SSI variability remains weaker. Combined with diatom-based estimates, the abundance and flux pattern of biogenic opal represents an additional indication for the WSI and SSI extent.

In-situ infrared spectroscopy as a non-invasive technique to study carbon sequestration at high pressure and high temperature

We would like to thank EPSRC for a Doctoral Training Grant (G.A.M) and the Erasmus programme for supporting the study visit to Turin (R.W). We would also like to thank Dr. Federico Cesano for SEM/EDX measurements and for fruitful discussion. Dr. Jo Duncan is thanked for his tremendous insight during XRD interpretation.

Development of a Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Method for the Detection of Benzodiazepines in Urine

Benzodiazepines are among the most prescribed compounds for anti-anxiety and are present in many toxicological screens. These drugs are also prominent in the commission of drug facilitated sexual assaults due their effects on the central nervous system. Due to their potency, a low dose of these compounds is often administered to victims; therefore, the target detection limit for these compounds in biological samples is 10 ng/mL. Currently these compounds are predominantly analyzed using immunoassay techniques; however more specific screening methods are needed. The goal of this dissertation was to develop a rapid, specific screening technique for benzodiazepines in urine samples utilizing surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), which has previously been shown be capable of to detect trace quantities of pharmaceutical compounds in aqueous solutions. Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy has the advantage of overcoming the low sensitivity and fluorescence effects seen with conventional Raman spectroscopy. The spectra are obtained by applying an analyte onto a SERS-active metal substrate such as colloidal metal particles. SERS signals can be further increased with the addition of aggregate solutions. These agents cause the nanoparticles to amass and form hot-spots which increase the signal intensity. In this work, the colloidal particles are spherical gold nanoparticles in aqueous solution with an average size of approximately 30 nm. The optimum aggregating agent for the detection of benzodiazepines was determined to be 16.7 mM MgCl2, providing the highest signal intensities at the lowest drug concentrations with limits of detection between 0.5 and 127 ng/mL. A supported liquid extraction technique was utilized as a rapid clean extraction for benzodiazepines from urine at a pH of 5.0, allowing for clean extraction with limits of detection between 6 and 640 ng/mL. It was shown that at this pH other drugs that are prevalent in urine samples can be removed providing the selective detection of the benzodiazepine of interest. This technique has been shown to provide rapid (less than twenty minutes), sensitive, and specific detection of benzodiazepines at low concentrations in urine. It provides the forensic community with a sensitive and specific screening technique for the detection of benzodiazepines in drug facilitated assault cases.

Sea surface temperature estimation of sediment core 86014-12PC51

A recently developed technique for determining past sea surface temperatures (SST), based on an analysis of the unsaturation ratio of long chain C37 methyl alkenones produced by Prymnesiophyceae phytoplankton (U37 k' ), has been applied to an upper Quaternary sediment core from the equatorial Atlantic. U37 k' temperature estimates were compared to those obtained from delta18O of the planktonic foraminifer Globigerinoides sacculifer and of planktonic foraminiferal assemblages for the last glacial cycle. The alkenone method showed 1.8°C cooling at the last glacial maximum, about 1/2 to 1/3 of the decrease shown by the isotopic method (6.3°C) and foraminiferal modern analogue technique estimates for the warm season (3.8°C). Warm season foraminiferal assemblage estimates based on transfer functions are out of phase with the other estimates, showing a 1.4°C drop at the last glacial maximum with an additional 0.9°C drop in the deglaciation. Increased alkenone abundances, total organic carbon percentage and foraminiferal accumulation rates in the last glaciation indicate an increase in productivity of as much as 4 times over present day. These changes are thought to be due to increased upwelling caused by enhanced winds during the glaciation. If U37 k' estimates are correct, as much as 50-70% (up to 4.5°C) of estimated delta18O and modern analogue temperature changes in the last glaciation may have been due to changes in thermocline depth, whereas transfer functions seem more strongly influenced by seasonality changes. This indicates these estimates may be influenced as strongly by other factors as they are by SST, which in the equatorial Atlantic was only reduced slightly in the last glaciation.

Surface seawater carbonate chemistry, nutrients and phytoplankton community composition on a transect between North Sea and Arctic Ocean, 2008

This data was collected during the 'ICE CHASER' cruise from the southern North Sea to the Arctic (Svalbard) in July-Aug 2008. This data consists of coccolithophore abundance, calcification and primary production rates, carbonate chemistry parameters and ancillary data of macronutrients, chlorophyll-a, average mixed layer irradiance, daily irradiance above the sea surface, euphotic and mixed layer depth, temperature and salinity.

Benthic foraminifera in surface sediments, South Atlantic

Sixty surface sediment samples from the eastern South Atlantic Ocean including the Walvis Ridge, the Angola and Cape basins, and the Southwest African continental margin were analysed for their benthic foraminiferal content to unravel faunal distribution patterns and ecological preferences. Live (stained with Rose Bengal) and dead faunas were counted separately and then each grouped by Q-mode principal component analysis into seven principal faunal end-members. Then, multiple regression technique was used to correlate Recent assemblages with available environmental variables and to finally differentiate between four principal groups of environmental agents acting upon the generation of benthic foraminiferal assemblages: (1) seasonality of food supply and organic carbon flux rates, together with oxygen content in the pore and bottom waters; (2) lateral advection of deep-water masses; (3) bottom water carbonate corrosiveness; and (4) energetic state at the benthic boundary layer and grain size composition of the substrate. Food supply and corresponding dissolved oxygen contents in the pore and bottom waters turned out to be the most important factors which control the distribution pattern of the Recent benthic foraminifera. At the continental margin, in the zone of coastal upwelling and its mixing area, benthic foraminiferal assemblages are dominated by stenobathic high-productivity faunas, characterized by elevated standing stocks, low diversities and a large number of endobenthic living species. At the continental shelf and upper continental slope the live assemblages are characterized by Rectuvigerina cylindrica, Uvigerina peregrina s.1., Uvigerina auberiana and Rhizammina spp. while the dead assemblages are characterized by Cassidulina laevigata, Bolivina dilatata, Bulimina costata and B. mexicana. At the lower continental slope strong influence of high organic matter fluxes on the species composition is restricted to the area off the Cunene river mouth, where the live assemblage is dominated by Uvigerina peregrina s.1., the corresponding dead assemblage by Melonis barleeanum and M. zaandamae. In the adjacent areas of the lower continental slope the biocoenosis is characterized by Reophax bilocularis, and Epistominella exigua which becomes dominant in the corresponding dead assemblage. At the Walvis Ridge and in the abyssal Angola and Cape basins, where organic matter fluxes are low and highly seasonal, benthic foraminiferal assemblages reflect both the oligotrophic situation and the deep and bottom water mass configuration. The top and flanks of the Walvis Ridge are inhabited by the Rhizammina, Psammosphaera and R. bilocularis live assemblages, the corresponding dead assemblages are dominated by G. subglobosa on the ridge top and E. exigua on the flanks. Within the highly diverse E. exigua dead assemblage several associated epibenthic species coincide with the core of NADW between about 1600 and 3700 m water depth. These species include Osangularia culter, Cibicidoides kullenbergi, Melonis pompilioides, Bolivinita pseudothalmanni and Bulimina alazanensis. The assemblages of the abyssal Cape and Angola basins are characterized by Nuttallides umbonifer and a high proportion of agglutinated species. These species are adapted to very low organic matter fluxes and a carbonate corrosive environment.

Winter sea surface temperature reconstruction from planktic foraminiferal transfer functions in the northeastern Arabian Sea over the last two millennia

The Indian monsoon system is an important climate feature of the northern Indian Ocean. Small variations of the wind and precipitation patterns have fundamental influence on the societal, agricultural, and economic development of India and its neighboring countries. To understand current trends, sensitivity to forcing, or natural variation, records beyond the instrumental period are needed. However, high-resolution archives of past winter monsoon variability are scarce. One potential archive of such records are marine sediments deposited on the continental slope in the NE Arabian Sea, an area where present-day conditions are dominated by the winter monsoon. In this region, winter monsoon conditions lead to distinctive changes in surface water properties, affecting marine plankton communities that are deposited in the sediment. Using planktic foraminifera as a sensitive and well-preserved plankton group, we first characterize the response of their species distribution on environmental gradients from a dataset of surface sediment samples in the tropical and sub-tropical Indian Ocean. Transfer functions for quantitative paleoenvironmental reconstructions were applied to a decadal-scale record of assemblage counts from the Pakistan Margin spanning the last 2000?years. The reconstructed temperature record reveals an intensification of winter monsoon intensity near the year 100 CE. Prior to this transition, winter temperatures were >1.5°C warmer than today. Conditions similar to the present seem to have established after 450 CE, interrupted by a singular event near 950 CE with warmer temperatures and accordingly weak winter monsoon. Frequency analysis revealed significant 75-, 40-, and 37-year cycles, which are known from decadal- to centennial-scale resolution records of Indian summer monsoon variability and interpreted as solar irradiance forcing. Our first independent record of Indian winter monsoon activity confirms that winter and summer monsoons were modulated on the same frequency bands and thus indicates that both monsoon systems are likely controlled by the same driving force.

Biogenic opal and diatoms in surface sediments of the South Western Atlantic

Based on 66 surface sediment samples collected in the SW Atlantic Ocean between 27 and 50°S, this study presents an overview of the spatial distribution of biogenic opal and diatom concentrations, and diatom assemblages. Biogenic opal has highest values in the deepest, pelagic stations and decreases toward the slope. Diatoms closely follow the spatial trend of opal. Diatom assemblages reflect the present-day dominant hydrographical features. Antarctic diatoms are the main contributors to the preserved diatom community in core top sediments, with coastal planktonic and tropical/subtropical diatoms as secondary components. Dominance of Antarctic diatoms between 35 and 50°S in the pelagic realm mirrors the northward displacement of Antarctic-source water masses, characterized by high nutrient content and low salinity. Northward of ca. 35°S, the highest contribution of tropical/subtropical, pelagic diatoms, typical for nutrient-poor and high salinity waters, matches the main southward path of the Brazil Current. Mixing of Antarctic and tropical waters down up to 45°S is clearly illustrated by the diatom assemblage. Concentrations of biogenic opal and diatoms rather reflect the path of predominant water masses, but are less correlated with surface water productivity in the SW Atlantic.

Benthos activity, abundance and biomass in surface sediments off Morocco, Northwest Africa

Macro- and meiobenthic abundance and biomass as well as metabolic activity (respiration, ETS activity) have been studied along a transect ranging from 130 to 3000 m water depth off northern Morocco (35° N) during "Meteor" cruise No. 53 (1980). The distribution of chloroplastic pigment concentration (chlorophyll a, pheophytins) in the sediment has been investigated as a measure of sedimented primary organic matter. High chloroplastic pigment concentrations were found on the shelf and around the shelf break, but values declined rapidly between 200 and 600 m depth. Below 1200 m pigment concentrations remained at a relatively uniform low level. Macrobenthic abundance and biomass (wet weight) decreased with increasing water depth and with distance from the shore. Significant changes occurred between the shelf and upper slope and below 2000 m depth. Meiobenthic abundance and biomass (ash free dry weight) followed the same general pattern, but changes were found below 400 and 800 m depth. In the depth range of 1200 to 3000 m values differ only slightly. Meiofauna abundance and biomass show a good correlation with the sedimentary chloroplastic pigment concentrations. Respiratory activity of sediment cores, measured by a shipboard technique at ambient temperatures, decreased with water depth and shows a good correlation with the pigment concentrations. ETS activity was highest on the shelf and decreased with water depth, with significant changes between 200 and 400 m, and below 1200 m depth, respectively. Activity was generally highest in the top 5 cm of the sediment and was measurable, at all stations, down to 15 cm sediment depth. Shelf and upper slope stations exhibited a vertical distribution pattern of ETS activity in the sediment column, different from that of deeper stations. The importance of biological activity measurements as an estimate of productivity is discussed. To prove the thesis that differences in benthic abundance, biomass and activity reflect differences in pelagic surface primary production, in the case of the NW-African coast caused by different upwelling intensities, the values from 35° N were compared with data from 21° N (permanent upwelling activity) and 17° N (ca. 9 months upwelling per year). On the shelf and upper slope (< 500 m) hydrographical conditions (currents, internal waves) influence the deposition of organic matter and cause a biomass minimum between 200 and 400 m depth in some regions. But, in general, macrobenthic abundance and biomass increases with enhanced upwelling activity and reaches a maximum in the area off Cape Blanc (21° N). On the shelf and in the shelf break region meiofauna densities are higher at 35° N in comparison to 21° N; but in contrast to the decreasing meiofauna abundance with increasing water depth at 35° N, an abundance maximum between 400 and 1200 m depth is formed in the Cape Blanc region; this maximum coincides with the maximum of sedimentary chloroplastic pigment equivalents. The comparison of ETS activities between 35° N and 21° N shows on the shelf activity at 21° N is up to 14 times higher and on the slope 4-9 times higher, which demonstrates that benthic activity responds to the surface productivity regime.

Sea surface temperature and export productivity reconstructions of sediments off the western Iberian margin

Present day hydrographic conditions along the western Iberian margin are characterized by seasonal upwelling with filaments that can penetrate more than 200 km into the open ocean and constitute areas of cold and highly productive waters. In order to investigate spatial and temporal gradients in temperature and productivity conditions during the last 150 ky, high-resolution proxy records were generated in 3 cores (SU92-03, MD95-2040, MD95-2042), located along the Iberian coast between 43°12'N and 37°48'N and forming a N-S profile. In all cores, planktonic foraminifera census counts are used to reconstruct summer sea surface temperature (SSTsu) and export productivity (Pexpsu) using the modern analog technique SIMMAX 28. SSTsu and Pexpsu values similar to the present are observed throughout the Holocene and MIS 5e periods for each site, respectively, indicating fairly stable conditions equivalent to the modern ones. On glacial/interglacial timescales, SSTsu increases by 2-3 °C from the northern to southernmost site. Pexpsu, on the other hand, shows a decrease of 30-40 gC/m**2/yr from North to South at present time and during interglacial periods, and no significant variation (90-100 gC/m**2/yr) during glacial periods. The northernmost core SU92-03 reveals the coldest conditions with records more similar to MD95-2040 than to MD95-2042, the later of which is, as at present, more affected by subtropical waters. Core SU92-03 shows higher interglacial productivity similar to open ocean mid- to high latitude sites, while the other two cores monitor higher glacial productivity conform with other upwelling sites off NW Africa. A boundary between differences in glacial/interglacial productivity appears to be present in our study between 43°12'N and 40°35'N. Especially north of 40°N, coldest SSTsu and lowest Pexpsu are found during Heinrich events (H)1-H8 and H10-H11. In contrast, lowest Pexpsu do not coincide with these events at site MD95-2042, but appear to be related to the presence of relatively warm and nutrient-poor subtropical Eastern North Atlantic Central Water advected with the Azores Current.