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Copyright 2013
FORAYS WITH
FORAMS
Copyright 2013
OBJECTIVESIntroduce basic background information
about forams as modern and fossil living organisms
Examine forams’ distinctive role as “proxies” for palaeoecology, palaeoclimatology, and water quality reconstructions
Use planktonic forams to reconstruct ocean evidence of changing climate
Use benthic forams to track changing environmental conditions in the Chesapeake Bay
Copyright 2013
Foraminifera (“Forams”)One-celled organisms Widespread through the oceans,
coastal zones, & estuaries – planktonic & benthic
“Tests” = shells Approximately the size of sand grainsMade of CaCO3 or sediment particles
Fossil tests preserved in ocean sediment layers
Many modern species have existed for millions of years – scientists can study these “proxies” today!
Important in climate & water quality reconstructions
Copyright 2013
Living Forams
Photo Credits: Dr. Howard Spero, University of California – Davis
Copyright 2013
Fossil Foram TestsPhoto Credit: psammophile
Copyright 2013
Fossil Foram Tests
Photo Credits: Michael Hesemann, http://www.foraminifera.eu
Copyright 2013
3-D and 3-D “Cat-Scan” Views
G. menardii G. siphonifera G. inflata
P. obliquiloculata G. ruber N. pachyderma
N. dutertrei G. sacculifer G. bulloides
Molcer 3-D image viewer software: White Rabbit Corporation, http://www.white-rabbit.jp/molcerE.html e-Foram Stock files of forams – Tohoku University Museum, Japan - http://webdb2.museum.tohoku.ac.jp/e-foram/
Copyright 2013
Foraminifera Sculpture Park in Guangzhou Province, China
Photo: www.sciencemag.org
Copyright 2013
Apple Pie Decorated
With Marzipan Forams!!
Photo: Hannes Grobe/AWI
Copyright 2013
ACTIVITY
USING PLANKTONIC FORAMS TO
DETERMINE OCEAN CLIMATE HISTORY –
NEW ZEALAND
Copyright 2013
OBJECTIVESIdentify foram species indicative of
foraminiferal provinces (ocean climate regions)
Use graphs of species percentages to determine foraminiferal provinces for several samples from a single ocean core
Determine how ocean climate changed during the time period represented by the samples, and examine possible causes
Copyright 2013
Transitional
FORAMINIFERAL PROVINCES
Foraminiferal Provinces
Copyright 2010
Location of Core
Ocean sediment
core
Copyright 2010
OCEAN SEDIMENT
CORE
SOUTHEAST OF NEW
ZEALAND’S NORTH ISLAND
Layer 1 10,000 ybp
Layer 2 15,000 ybp
Layer 3 20,000 ybp
USE FORAMS TO FIND THE OCEAN CLIMATE HISTORY IN THIS AREA
ybp = years before present
Copyright 2010
Copyright 2010
Copyright 2010
EACH “SLICE” OF THE PIE CHART = 5%
Copyright 2010
Subtropical
THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE !!YOUR ACTUAL NUMBERS & PIE
CHART WILL PROBABLY BE DIFFERENT !!
Copyright 2010
ACTIVITY
CHESAPEAKE BAY: BENTHIC FORAMS AS
ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS
Copyright 2010
OBJECTIVESIdentify key benthic foram species
in several samples from a core of Chesapeake Bay sediment
Calculate species percentages in each sample
Determine trends in environmental conditions in the Bay’s watershed during the time period represented by the samples and examine possible causes
Copyright 2010
EUTROPHICATION Nutrient pollution fuels the growth of algae blooms that block sunlight from reaching bay grasses and rob the water of oxygen needed by the Bay’s living
organismsPhoto: US EPA Chesapeake Bay Program
Copyright 2010
EUTROPHICATIONImage Credit: http://www.wri.org/image/nutrient-deposition
Copyright 2010
BENTHIC FORAMS AS ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS
Presence of certain “opportunistic” species that are tolerant of “stressed” environmental conditions (low dissolved oxygen, change in salinity, heavy metals & other pollutants) – will become abundant in the stressed ecosystem
Some species exposed to extreme pollution or other extreme environmental stressors may produce deformed tests
Copyright 2010
West Virginia
Virginia
Maryland
Pennsylvania
D.C.
Delaware
New York
Chesapeake Bay Watershed
CORE SAMPLE
FROM TIDAL PATUXENT
RIVER
Copyright 2013
SEDIMENT CORE
TIDAL PATUXENT
RIVER, MARYLAND
BENTHIC FORAMS AS CLUES TO ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES IN THE
CHESAPEAKE BAY WATERSHED
FORAM SAMPLES FROM CORE LAYERS
199019751965
1900
1850
1800
1750
CALENDAR YEAR
DATES OF SAMPLED LAYERS
Copyright 2013
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2 10
Copyright 2013
Copyright 2013
BALDCYPRESS TREE RINGS BLACKWATER RIVER
SOUTHEASTERN VIRGINIA
Photo: http://www.pbs.org/saf/1301/features/climatology.htm
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