Post on 01-Apr-2015
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FORAYS WITH
FORAMS
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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
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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
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Living Forams
Photo Credits: Dr. Howard Spero, University of California – Davis
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Fossil Foram TestsPhoto Credit: psammophile
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Fossil Foram Tests
Photo Credits: Michael Hesemann, http://www.foraminifera.eu
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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/
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Foraminifera Sculpture Park in Guangzhou Province, China
Photo: www.sciencemag.org
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Apple Pie Decorated
With Marzipan Forams!!
Photo: Hannes Grobe/AWI
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ACTIVITY
USING PLANKTONIC FORAMS TO
DETERMINE OCEAN CLIMATE HISTORY –
NEW ZEALAND
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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
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Transitional
FORAMINIFERAL PROVINCES
Foraminiferal Provinces
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Location of Core
Ocean sediment
core
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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
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EACH “SLICE” OF THE PIE CHART = 5%
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Subtropical
THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE !!YOUR ACTUAL NUMBERS & PIE
CHART WILL PROBABLY BE DIFFERENT !!
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ACTIVITY
CHESAPEAKE BAY: BENTHIC FORAMS AS
ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS
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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
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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
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EUTROPHICATIONImage Credit: http://www.wri.org/image/nutrient-deposition
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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
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West Virginia
Virginia
Maryland
Pennsylvania
D.C.
Delaware
New York
Chesapeake Bay Watershed
CORE SAMPLE
FROM TIDAL PATUXENT
RIVER
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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
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2 10
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BALDCYPRESS TREE RINGS BLACKWATER RIVER
SOUTHEASTERN VIRGINIA
Photo: http://www.pbs.org/saf/1301/features/climatology.htm