Sedimentary diatom assemblages of Prydz Bay and Mac.Robertson Shelf, East Antarctica, and their use as palaeoecological indicators ...

• Main Author: Taylor, F
• Format: Thesis
• Language: unknown
• Published: University Of Tasmania 2023
• Subjects: Antarctic; Antarctic Peninsula; East Antarctica; Prydz Bay; Ross Sea; Weddell; Weddell Sea; West Antarctica; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.25959/23243000; https://figshare.utas.edu.au/articles/thesis/Sedimentary_diatom_assemblages_of_Prydz_Bay_and_Mac_Robertson_Shelf_East_Antarctica_and_their_use_as_palaeoecological_indicators/23243000

The use of diatoms as palaeoecological indicators is well established, particularly in polar marine and lake environments where the frustules are well preserved in, and often dominate, the sedimentary record. Until recently, marine studies have been concentrated primarily in West Antarctica, namely the Ross Sea, Weddell Sea and Antarctic Peninsula. In comparison, relatively little research has been conducted in East Antarctica, which is the focus of this study. Here, diatom assemblages preserved in over 100 surface sediment samples, collected from Prydz Bay and Mac.Robertson Shelf, have been analysed for diatom distribution and abundance. They are compared to the assemblages preserved in six sedimentary cores from the same area, as a means of reconstructing the natural variability of Holocene palaeoclimates on the East Antarctic continental shelf. The distribution and composition of four diatom assemblages are identified in the surface sediments of Prydz Bay and Mac.Robertson Shelf using multivariate ...