EXPERIMENTAL EFFECTS OF AN ORGANIC MATTER PULSE AND OXYGEN DEPLETION ON A BENTHIC FORAMINIFERAL SHELF COMMUNITY

Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences (Physical Sciences)

Research Article| July 01, 2005 EXPERIMENTAL EFFECTS OF AN ORGANIC MATTER PULSE AND OXYGEN DEPLETION ON A BENTHIC FORAMINIFERAL SHELF COMMUNITY Sander Ernst; Sander Ernst * 1Department of Stratigraphy/Paleontology, Utrecht University, Budapestlaan 4, 3584 CD Utrecht, The Netherlands2Department of Biogeology, University of Nijmegen, Toernooiveld 1, 6525 ED Nijmegen, The Netherlands *E-mail: foraminifeer@hotmail.com Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Roger Bours; Roger Bours 1Department of Stratigraphy/Paleontology, Utrecht University, Budapestlaan 4, 3584 CD Utrecht, The Netherlands Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Ivo Duijnstee; Ivo Duijnstee 1Department of Stratigraphy/Paleontology, Utrecht University, Budapestlaan 4, 3584 CD Utrecht, The Netherlands2Department of Biogeology, University of Nijmegen, Toernooiveld 1, 6525 ED Nijmegen, The Netherlands Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Bert van der Zwaan Bert van der Zwaan 1Department of Stratigraphy/Paleontology, Utrecht University, Budapestlaan 4, 3584 CD Utrecht, The Netherlands2Department of Biogeology, University of Nijmegen, Toernooiveld 1, 6525 ED Nijmegen, The Netherlands Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Sander Ernst * 1Department of Stratigraphy/Paleontology, Utrecht University, Budapestlaan 4, 3584 CD Utrecht, The Netherlands2Department of Biogeology, University of Nijmegen, Toernooiveld 1, 6525 ED Nijmegen, The Netherlands Roger Bours 1Department of Stratigraphy/Paleontology, Utrecht University, Budapestlaan 4, 3584 CD Utrecht, The Netherlands Ivo Duijnstee 1Department of Stratigraphy/Paleontology, Utrecht University, Budapestlaan 4, 3584 CD Utrecht, The Netherlands2Department of Biogeology, University of Nijmegen, Toernooiveld 1, 6525 ED Nijmegen, The Netherlands Bert van der Zwaan 1Department of Stratigraphy/Paleontology, Utrecht University, Budapestlaan 4, 3584 CD Utrecht, The Netherlands2Department of Biogeology, University of Nijmegen, Toernooiveld 1, 6525 ED Nijmegen, The Netherlands *E-mail: foraminifeer@hotmail.com Publisher: Cushman Foundation for Foraminiferal Research Received: 15 Apr 2004 Accepted: 13 Dec 2004 First Online: 03 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-264X Print ISSN: 0096-1191 © 2005 Journal of Foraminiferal Research Journal of Foraminiferal Research (2005) 35 (3): 177–197. https://doi.org/10.2113/35.3.177 Article history Received: 15 Apr 2004 Accepted: 13 Dec 2004 First Online: 03 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation Sander Ernst, Roger Bours, Ivo Duijnstee, Bert van der Zwaan; EXPERIMENTAL EFFECTS OF AN ORGANIC MATTER PULSE AND OXYGEN DEPLETION ON A BENTHIC FORAMINIFERAL SHELF COMMUNITY. Journal of Foraminiferal Research 2005;; 35 (3): 177–197. doi: https://doi.org/10.2113/35.3.177 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyJournal of Foraminiferal Research Search Advanced Search Abstract Foraminiferal assemblages from a shelf environment (32 m water depth) in the northern Adriatic Sea were incubated in 26 mesocosms, in which six different environmental conditions were created. A number of mesocosms were sealed to initiate anoxic conditions, and different doses of organic matter were added under both the oxygenated and anoxic conditions. The mesocosms were harvested three times during an experimental period of two months and foraminifera were studied in the upper 3 cm of the sediment.Certain taxa (Stainforthia fusiformis, Nouria polymorphinoides, Hopkinsina pacifica, Nonionella turgida) responded immediately to the anoxic conditions: standing stocks declined and migration towards the sediment-water interface was observed. Other taxa (Caronia silvestrii, Epistominella vitrea, Acostata mariae) only reacted to a pulse of organic matter. These taxa are also found in deeper infaunal habitats, but were observed to migrate towards shallower habitats. The quantity of organic matter appeared to be an important factor: the highest dose resulted in higher densities of certain taxa. Some taxa (H. pacifica, S. fusiformis) increased in abundance under anoxia when labile organic matter was present. A number of other taxa were not affected by organic flux; perhaps one of these (N. turgida) depends on another food source, e.g., bacteria, since it migrated to shallower depth in the anoxic treatments. A last group (Bolivina spp., Eggerella spp., Bulimina marginata) appeared to be less affected by or showed no clear response to the induced environmental changes.In total, five different groups of foraminiferal taxa were distinguished, based on their response to the treatments. Oxygen depletion induced strong changes in the vertical distribution and density of the foraminiferal taxa over a short-term period (< 2 weeks). The addition of organic flux was more important in maintaining composition and density of the assemblage over a long-term period (> 4 weeks). You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.