A new Antarctic foraminiferal species for detecting climate change in sub-Recent glacier-proximal sediments

• Published in: Antarctic Science
• Main Authors: Majewski, Wojciech, Tatur, Andrzej
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 2009
• Subjects: Geology; Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics; Oceanography; Antarc*; Antarctic; Antarctic Science; Antarctica; Arctic; Climate change; Foraminifera*; King George Island; South Shetland Islands; Tidewater
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0954102009990150; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0954102009990150

Abstract Cribroelphidium webbi sp. nov. is the only adequately described sub-Recent elphidiid foraminifer from Antarctica. In Admiralty Bay (King George Island, South Shetland Islands), it is found at several locations within inner fiord setting at water depths between 33 and 165 m, but most commonly shallower than 100 m. In outer basins this foraminifer is absent. In the cores analysed, C. webbi sp. nov. is present in well-constrained sub-Recent horizons that are clearly related to climate warming and deglaciation. These horizons represent a diachronous facies marker rather than a single stratigraphic layer. Cribroelphidium webbi sp. nov. shows clear association with retreating tidewater glaciers, therefore it is an important sensitive glacier-proximal indicator. It appears that it shares similar ecologic affinities with Cribroelphidium excavatum clavatum , which is widely distributed throughout the Arctic.