Lisa E. Osterman

Late Pleistocene and Holocene meltwater events in the western Arctic Ocean

Accelerator mass spectrometer 14 C dated stable isotope data from Neogloboquadrina pachyerma in cores raised from the Mendeleyev Ridge and slope provide evidence for significant influx of meltwater to the western Arctic Ocean during the early part of marine oxygen isotope stage 1 (OIS 1) and during several intervals within OIS 3. The strongest OIS 3 meltwater event occurred before ca. 45 ka (conventional radiocarbon age) and was probably related to the deglaciation at the beginning of OIS 3. Major meltwater input to the western Arctic Ocean during the last deglaciation coincides closely with the maximum rate of global sea-level rise as determined from the Barbados sea-level record, demonstrating a strong link between the global record and changes in the central Arctic Ocean. OIS 2, which includes the last glacial maximum, is very condensed or absent in the cores. Abundance and δ 13 C values for N. pachyderma in the middle part of OIS 3 are similar to modern values, indicating high productivity and seasonal ice-free areas along the Arctic margin at that time. These records indicate that the Arctic Ocean was a source of heat and moisture to the northern polar atmosphere during parts of OIS 3.

Reconstructing a 180 yr record of natural and anthropogenic induced low-oxygen conditions from Louisiana continental shelf sediments

Hypoxia on the Louisiana continental shelf is tied to nutrient loading and freshwater stratification from the Mississippi River. Variations in the relative abundance of low-oxygen-tolerant benthic foraminifers in four sediment cores from the Louisiana shelf provide a proxy record of low-oxygen events. Core chronologies are obtained using 2 1 0 Pb dating techniques. The foraminiferal data are consistent with previous studies indicating that the intensity of hypoxic events (oxygen <2 mg/L) has increased over the past 50 yr owing to the higher nutrient loading associated with the use of commercial fertilizer, and also reveal several low-oxygen events between A.D. 1817 and 1910, prior to the widespread use of fertilizer. The pre-1910 low-oxygen events are associated with high Mississippi River discharge rates, indicating that these low-oxygen episodes are related to natural variations in river drainage that enhance transport of nutrients and freshwater to the continental shelf. Our data show that the low-oxygen events of the past few decades were more extreme than any that occurred in the previous ∼180 yr, and support the interpretation that the increased use of fertilizer has amplified an otherwise naturally occurring process.

Benthic foraminifers from the continental shelf and slope of the Gulf of Mexico: an indicator of shelf hypoxia

Benthic foraminifers from 74 core-top sediment samples collected primarily from the continental shelf of the Gulf of Mexico were analyzed to determine a microfaunal indicator for shelf hypoxia to be used in future paleoenvironmental studies. Principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA) of 93 species recognized factors/clusters that were similar to previous investigations of the benthic foraminifers, except that both analyses also identified PCA6/CA6 in the area where hypoxic conditions have been observed. Three low-oxygen-tolerant species, Pseudononion atlanticum, Epistominella vitrea, and Buliminella morgani have high factor loadings in PCA6. The cumulative percentage of three species is defined as the PEB (PEB, Pseudononion, Epistominella, Buliminella) index. The highest PEB values observed in the 74 surface sediment samples occur in the zone of recognized hypoxia on the Louisiana shelf. Values of the PEB index are also elevated along the southern Texas coastline, suggesting that this area may experience periodic hypoxia as well.

SHE Analysis for Biozonation of Benthic Foraminiferal Assemblages from Western Arctic Ocean

Abstract Benthic foraminiferal species abundance in samples from three Mendeleyev Ridge box cores were analyzed by cluster analysis and the newer method of SHE analysis. Previously, the latter technique only has been used on foraminiferal data from depth transects of modern surface sediment samples. Unlike most methods, which initially compare all possible pairs of samples, the SHE procedure results in a linear pattern if a sequence of samples are from the same statistical distribution. A change in slope indicates a statistical change in community structure and/or a change in species composition. The research reported herein is the first application of SHE for the purpose of identifying biozones in sediment core samples for the purpose of stratigraphic correlation. Both cluster analysis and the SHE method provided zonation within cores. However, the cluster method often produced clusters that were difficult to identify and also contained a mixture of samples without stratigraphic continuity. In contrast, SHE resulted in easily identifiable biozones and ensured temporal continuity within them. In general, the cluster analysis produced more zones than the SHE analysis. About 87% of the cluster zones and 64% of the SHE zones were correlated across more than one core. The average age range for correlated biozone boundaries among the three cores, based on radiocarbon dates, was 821 years using cluster analysis and 296 years using SHE. The sequential nature of the analysis, ease in choosing boundaries, and correlation of these boundaries across cores makes SHE the preferred technique.

An Examination of Historical Inorganic Sedimentation and Organic Matter Accumulation in Several Marsh Types within the Mobile Bay and Mobile—Tensaw River Delta Region

ABSTRACT Smith, C.G.; Osterman, L.E., and Poore, R.Z., 2013. An examination of historical inorganic sedimentation and organic matter accumulation in several marsh types within the Mobile Bay and Mobile—Tensaw River delta region. In: Brock, J.C.; Barras, J.A., and Williams, S.J. (eds.), Understanding and Predicting Change in the Coastal Ecosystems of the Northern Gulf of Mexico, Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 63, pp. 68–83, Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. Mass accumulation rates (MAR; g cm-2 y-1), linear sedimentation rates (LSR; cm y-1), and core geochronology derived from excess lead-210 (210Pb) profiles and inventories measured in six sediment cores collected from marsh sites from the MobileTensaw River Delta and Mobile Bay region record the importance of both continuous and event-driven inorganic sedimentation over the last 120 years. MAR in freshwater marshes varied considerably between sites and through time (0.24 and 1.31 g cm-2 y-1). The highest MARs occurred in the 1950s and 1960s and correspond to record discharge events along the Mobile and Tensaw Rivers. In comparison, MAR at salt marsh sites increased almost threefold over the last 120 years (0.05 to 0.18 g cm-2 y-1 or 0.23 to 0.48 cm y-1). From 1880 to 1960, organic accumulation remained fairly constant (∼20%), while intermittent pulses of high inorganic sedimentation were observed following 1960. The pulses in inorganic sedimentation coincide with several major hurricanes (e.g., Hurricanes Camille, Fredric, Georges, and Ivan). The nearly threefold increase in MAR in salt marshes during the last 120 years would thus appear to be partially dependent on inorganic sedimentation from storm events. This study shows that while hurricanes, floods, and other natural hazards are well-known threats to human infrastructure and coastal ecosystems, these events also transport sediment to marshes that help abate other pressures such as sea-level rise (SLR) and subsidence.

Ecological and evolutionary consequences of benthic community stasis in the very deep sea (>1500 m)

Abstract An enigma of deep-sea biodiversity research is that the abyss with its low productivity and densities appears to have a biodiversity similar to that of shallower depths. This conceptualization of similarity is based mainly on per-sample estimates (point diversity, within-habitat, or α-diversity). Here, we use a measure of between-sample within-community diversity (β1H) to examine benthic foraminiferal diversity between 333 stations within 49 communties from New Zealand, the South Atlantic, the Gulf of Mexico, the Norwegian Sea, and the Arctic. The communities are grouped into two depth categories: 200–1500 m and >1500 m. β1H diversity exhibits no evidence of regional differences. Instead, higher values at shallower depths are observed worldwide. At depths of >1500 m the average β1H is zero, indicating stasis or no biodiversity gradient. The difference in β1H-diversity explains why, despite species richness often being greater per sample at deeper depths, the total number of species is greater at shallower depths. The greater number of communities and higher rate of evolution resulting in shorter species durations at shallower depths is also consistent with higher β1H values.