Results from a detailed aeromagnetic survey across the northeast Newfoundland margin,Part I: Spreading anomalies and relationship between magnetic anomalies and the ocean-continent boundary

A detailed aeromagnetic survey carried out across the northeast Newfoundland margin clearly shows the presence of sea floor spreading anomalies 25 to 34. Correlation of these anomalies with synthetic profiles shows an increase in the rate of spreading soon after anomaly 27 time. Three fracture zones can be identified by dislocations in the magnetic anomalies; their positions are confirmed on the depth to basement map of this region. An eastward extension of the southernmost fracture zone at latitude 49 N matches well with the Faraday Fracture Zone across the Mid Atlantic Ridge, and with a basement ridge known as Pastouret Ridge mapped off Goban Spur. By combining the present survey data with the previously collected shipborne measurements, we have also traced the westward continuation of the Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone under the Newfoundland shelf.A large amplitude magnetic anomaly lies along the margin and separates two zones with different magnetic characteristics: long wavelength small amplitude anomalies on the landward side, and quasi lineated anomalies on the seaward side. Seismic data compilations show that this large anomaly coincides with the ocean-continent boundary at most places north of Flemish Cap. Modelling of the magnetic anomalies indicate that the large amplitude anomaly is caused by the juxtaposition of highly magnetized oceanic crust against weakly magnetized continental crust; this situation is similar to that observed across the Goban Spur margin, which is a conjugate of the Flemish Cap margin. The presence of highly magnetized oceanic crust landward of anomaly 34 and within the Cretaceous Magnetic Quiet Zone is attested to by the presence of similar large amplitude anomalies south of the Flemish Cap and Goban Spur regions, but these do not mark the ocean-continent transition.     

The Continuous Plankton Recorder survey and the North Atlantic Oscillation: Interannual- to Multidecadal-scale patterns of phytoplankton variability in the North Atlantic Ocean

At interannual to multidecadal time scales, much of the oceanographic and climatic variability in the North Atlantic Ocean can be associated with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). While evidence suggests that there is a relationship between the NAO and zooplankton dynamics in the North Atlantic Ocean, the phytoplankton response to NAO-induced changes in the environment is less clear. Time series of monthly mean phytoplankton colour values, as compiled by the Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) survey, are analysed to infer relationships between the NAO and phytoplankton dynamics throughout the North Atlantic Ocean. While a few areas display highly significant (p < 0.05) trends in the CPR colour time series during the period 1948–2000, nominally significant (p < 0.20) positive trends are widespread across the basin, particularly on the continental shelves and in a transition zone stretching across the Central North Atlantic. When long-term trends are removed from both the NAO index and CPR colour time series, the correlation between them ceases to be significant. Several hypotheses are proposed to explain the observed variability in the CPR colour and its relationship with climate in the North Atlantic.     

Eocene post-rift tectonostratigraphy of the Rockall Plateau, Atlantic margin of NW Britain: Linking early spreading tectonics and passive margin response

A regional study of the Eocene succession in the UK sector of the Rockall Plateau has yielded new insights into the early opening history of the NE Atlantic continental margin. Data acquired from British Geological Survey borehole 94/3, on the Rockall High, provides a high-resolution record of post-rift, Early to Mid-Eocene, subaqueous fan-delta development and sporadic volcanic activity, represented by pillow lavas, tuffs and subaerial lavas. This sequence correlates with the East Rockall Wedge, which is one of several prograding sediment wedges identified across the Rockall Plateau whose development was largely terminated in the mid-Lutetian. Linking the biostratigraphical data with the magnetic anomaly pattern in the adjacent ocean basin indicates that this switch-off in fan-delta sedimentation and volcanism was coincident with the change from a segmented/transform margin to a continuously spreading margin during chron C21. However, late-stage easterly prograding sediment wedges developed on the Hatton High during late Mid- to Late Eocene times; these can only have been sourced from the Hatton High, which was developing as an anticline during this interval. This deformation occurred in response to Mid- to Late Eocene compression along the ocean margin, possibly associated with the reorganisation to oblique spreading in the Iceland Basin, which culminated at the end of the Eocene with the formation of the North Hatton Anticline, and the deformation (tilting) of these wedges. A series of intra-Eocene unconformities, of which the mid-Lutetian unconformity is the best example, has been traced from the Rockall Plateau to the Faroe-Shetland region and onto the Greenland conjugate margin bordering the early ocean basin. Whilst there appears to be some correlation with 3rd order changes in eustatic sea level, it is clear from this study that tectonomagmatic processes related to changes in spreading directions between Greenland and Eurasia, and/or mantle thermal perturbations cannot be discounted.     

Assemblages of phytoplankton pigments along a shipping line through the North Atlantic and tropical Pacific

A set of phytoplankton pigment measurements collected on eight quarterly transects from France to New Caledonia is analyzed in order to identify the main assemblages of phytoplankton and to relate their occurrence to oceanic conditions. Pigment concentrations are first divided by the sum [monovinyl chlorophyll a plus divinyl chlorophyll a] to remove the effect of biomass, and second are normalized to give an equal weight to all pigments. The resulting 17 pigments × 799 observations matrix is then classified into 10 clusters using neural methodology. Eight out of these 10 clusters have a well marked regional or seasonal character, thus evidencing adapted responses of the phytoplankton communities. The main gradient opposes two clusters with high fucoxanthin and chlorophyll c₁₊₂ in the North Atlantic in January, April and July, to three clusters in the South Pacific Subtropical Gyre with high divinyl chlorophyll a, zeaxanthin and phycoerythrin. One of the clusters in the South Pacific Subtropical Gyre has relatively high zeaxanthin and phycoerythrin contents and dominates in November and February (austral summer), while another with relatively high divinyl chlorophylls a and b dominates in May and August (austral winter). The third one in the South Pacific is characterized by high carotene concentration and its occurrence peaks in February and May. In the equatorial current system, one cluster, rich in chlorophylls b and c₁₊₂, is strictly located in a narrow zone centred at the equator, while another with relatively high violaxanthin concentration is restricted to the high nutrient - low chlorophyll waters in only the southern part of the South Equatorial Current. One cluster with relatively high prasinoxanthin content has a spatial distribution spanning the entire South Equatorial Current. Two clusters have a ubiquitous distribution: one in the equatorial Pacific, the Carribbean Sea and the North Atlantic during summer has pigment concentrations close to the average of the entire dataset, and the other in the South Pacific Subtropical Gyre, the Carribbean Sea and the North Atlantic during autumn clearly has an oligotrophic character. Many of the differences between clusters are caused by diagnostic pigments of nano- or picoflagellates. While the space and time characteristics of the clusters are well marked and might correspond to differences in physical and chemical forcing, knowledge of the ecological requirements of these flagellates is generally lacking to explain how the variability of the environment triggers these clusters.     

Storminess and vulnerability along the Atlantic coastlines of Europe: analysis of storm records and of a greenhouse gases induced climate scenario

Identification of the distinctive circulation patterns of storminess on the Atlantic margin of Europe forms the main objective of this study; dealing with storm frequency, intensity and tracking. The climatology of the extratropical cyclones that affect this region has been examined for the period 1940–1998. Coastal meteorological data from Ireland to Spain have been linked to the cyclone history for the North Atlantic in the analysis of storm records for European coasts. The study examines the evolution in the occurrence of storms since the 1940s and also their relationship with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). Results indicate a seasonal shift in the wind climate, with regionally more severe winters and calmer summers established. This pattern appears to be linked to a northward displacement in the main North Atlantic cyclone track.

An experiment with the ECHAM4 A-GCM at high resolution (T106) has also been used to model the effect of a greenhouse gases induced warming climate on the climatology of coastal storms in the region. The experiment consists of (1), a 30-year control time-slice representing present-day equivalent CO₂ concentrations and (2), a 30-year perturbed period corresponding to a time when the radiative forcing has doubled in terms of equivalent CO₂ concentrations. The boundary conditions have been obtained from an atmosphere-ocean coupled OA-GCM simulation at low horizontal resolution. An algorithm was developed to allow the identification of individual cyclone movements in selected coastal zones. For most of the northern part of the study region, covering Ireland and Scotland, results describe the establishment by ca. 2060 of a tendency for fewer but more intense storms.

The impacts of these changes in storminess for the vulnerability of European Atlantic coasts are considered. For low-lying, exposed and ‘soft’ sedimentary coasts, as in Ireland, these changes in storminess are likely to result in significant localised increases in coastal erosion.     

Basin-scale distributions of stable nitrogen isotopes in the subtropical North Atlantic Ocean: Contribution of diazotroph nitrogen to particulate organic matter and mesozooplankton

New N inputs via biological N₂-fixation play a critical role in supporting oceanic primary production and influencing global biogeochemical cycles. Numerous studies have documented significant N₂-fixation rates in the North Atlantic, but relatively little is known of the pathways and fluxes of new N through planktonic food webs. Here, we report the natural abundance of ¹⁵N in, and contribution of diazotroph N (N_D) inputs to, suspended particles and mesozooplankton collected along two transects in the subtropical North Atlantic Ocean (STNA). Samples were collected in April-May 2000 along the two main transects to evaluate spatial trends of ¹⁵N within the Western Atlantic and across the basin. We found that N₂-fixation is a key component in supporting both primary and secondary productions throughout the STNA. N_D contribution was generally higher for suspended particles than for mesozooplankton, and we observed a high N_D contribution to suspended particles over large spatial scales in the western and central STNA. Mesozooplankton N_D incorporation suggests that diazotroph production supports oceanic food webs over longer timescales (e.g., weeks to months) than that of particle turnover (e.g., days). Larger mesozooplankton (1000-4000 ??m) generally incorporated more N_D than smaller mesozooplankton (250-1000 ??m), and thus may exert a stronger influence on an N_D movement within the water column. Spatial and vertical patterns of variation in mesozooplankton ??¹⁵N also suggest either broad geographical differences in an N_D contribution to secondary production, or temporal variations in N_D incorporation via mesozooplankton communities.     

Reproductive and feeding spatial dynamics of the black scabbardfish,Aphanopus carbo Lowe, 1839, in NE Atlantic inferred from fatty acid and stable isotope analyses

The black scabbardfish (Aphanopus carbo) is a benthopelagic species widely distributed across the NE Atlantic, where it is admitted to perform a clockwise migration throughout its life cycle stimulated by feeding and reproduction. To overcome the limitations of direct observation of this species, fatty acids profile (FA) and δ¹⁵N and δ¹³C stable isotopes (SI) were analyzed in the muscle tissue of the black scabbardfish and related with diet and maturity. Specimens were collected in four geographic areas in the NE Atlantic: Iceland, the west of the British Isles, mainland Portugal, and Madeira. For all areas, the FA profile was related with the different phases of the reproductive cycle and with diet, whereas the SI were related with diet, environmental characteristics, such as latitude and depth, and particulate organic matter (POM). Stomach content of black scabbardfish caught off mainland Portugal was analyzed and the most frequent prey item identified was the lophogastrid crustacean Gnathophausia zoea, followed by the cephalopod Mastigotheutis spp. and the teleost Rouleina maderensis. For specimens from Iceland and the west of the British Isles, monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) were the most important FA, followed by polyunsaturated (PUFA) and saturated FA (SFA), whereas for specimens from mainland Portugal and from Madeira the sequences were PUFA>MUFA>SFA and PUFA>SFA>MUFA, respectively. Immature specimens from the first three areas were found to be accumulating oleic acid which is an intermediate product of the metabolic pathway that transforms SFA to MUFA and these into PUFA. Specimens caught off Madeira were mature and showed a significant prevalence of ARA and DHA which are PUFA with an important role in reproduction. δ¹⁵N was significantly higher in the muscle of black scabbardfish from Madeira, whereas δ¹³C was significantly lower in specimens from Iceland. The low isotopic ratios as well as the prevalence of certain fatty acid trophic markers (FATM) connected specimens from Iceland with small prey. Results indicated that the spatial differences in physiological aspects of this species are related with diet and prey availability in Madeira, mainland Portugal, and the west of the British Isles, as well as variations in the baseline values of the primary production that are related with latitude and depth, mainly in Iceland. The allometric effect of each area׳s size ranges over δ¹⁵N supports the existence of ontogenic differences in the black scabbardfish׳s diet. This diet is typical of mobile benthopelagic predators that are opportunistic feeders.     

Influence of diet on growth, condition and reproductive capacity in Newfoundland and Labrador cod (Gadus morhua): Insights from stable carbon isotopes (δC)

Cod populations in Newfoundland and Labrador waters have shown differing growth, condition and recruitment since near-universal declines in these properties during the cold period of the late 1980s and early 1990s. To assess the influence of variable prey communities on these parameters, we compared cod energetics and diet in populations off Labrador and the northeast and south coasts of Newfoundland. Many properties were highest in the southern group(s) and lowest in the northern group(s), including growth, somatic condition, liver index and age-at-maturity. Most differences could be explained by variations in diet, as measured by stomach contents and stable carbon isotopes (δ¹³C). The diet of Labrador cod consisted almost entirely of northern shrimp (Pandalus borealis), and these cod displayed the most benthic δ¹³C signatures. Northeast cod had a more varied diet that included capelin and other fish, but still had mostly benthic δ¹³C signatures, suggesting the importance of benthic prey like shrimp in this population. South coast cod exhibited the most varied diet, including capelin (Mallotus villosus), zooplankton, crabs and other fish, and had the most pelagic δ¹³C signatures. Among and within populations, the benefits of a more pelagic diet in medium-sized (30–69 cm) cod included higher somatic condition, higher liver index (lipid stores) and greater spawning potential (decreased incidence of atresia). It is hypothesized that major rebuilding of Newfoundland and Labrador cod stocks will require a return to a system that supports mostly pelagic feeding (i.e. capelin) in cod.     

The paranthurid isopod crustacean Paranthura nigropunctata (Lucas, 1846): first record from the Atlantic coast of Morocco

The littoral paranthurid isopod crustacean Paranthura nigropunctata (Lucas, 1846) is recorded for the first time from the littoral of El Jadida located on the Atlantic northwest coast of Morocco. Specimens were obtained from the invasive brown seaweed Sargassum muticum and the natives Bifurcaria bifurcata and Cystoseira tamariscifolia in January 2015. This new record further confirms a significant southward distribution of P. nigropunctata and contributes to the knowledge of the biogeography of this isopod. Heretofore, the species was only known from the western and eastern Mediterranean and some Atlantic coasts. The present finding is the first of the species from Moroccan Atlantic shores, and suggests that the species may also be present in other coastal localities from Morocco and Africa. Some data on morphology, ecology and spatial distribution of the species are provided.     

Regional variation in distribution pattern, population structure and growth rates of Meganyctiphanes norvegica and Thysanoessa longicaudata in the Irminger Sea, North Atlantic

Euphausiids are a key component of the northern North Atlantic marine ecosystem and Meganyctiphanes norvegica and Thysanoessa longicaudata are dominant both numerically and in terms of biomass. The Irminger Sea is remote and experiences often-hostile weather conditions. Consequently, few studies have been conducted there, and detailed information on the seasonal distribution, abundance and growth of euphausiids is limited. Here we explore patterns of abundance and spatial and temporal variation in length–frequency distribution in order to determine regional growth rates for both species in the Irminger Basin. Regional composite length–frequency distributions for spring, summer and winter were devised by aggregating discrete net haul data according to the results of a multivariate cluster analysis of length conducted on spring and summer net sample data. Three biologically distinct regions within the Irminger basin were apparent (Central Irminger Sea, Northern Irminger Sea and East of Greenland Shelf). These regions corresponded broadly with distinct physical zones within the basin. Modes in the composite length–frequency distributions were determined by fitting multiple normal distributions, and regional differences in growth were investigated by tracking modes between seasons. The results provide some evidence for regional variability in growth and population dynamics. The population structure and growth of M. norvegica was similar in the open ocean regions of the Northern and Central Irminger Basin, but different in the region around the East Greenland Shelf. There was a distinct absence of larger individuals (+I-group) in the open ocean regions compared to East Greenland Coast region, and growth rates were marginally higher. A similar pattern in population structure was also observed for T. longicaudata. Variability in growth and abundance are discussed in relation to prevailing environmental characteristics such as temperature and food availability.     

Volcanic and Seismic Swarm Events on the Reykjanes Ridge and Their Similarities to Events on Iceland: Results of a Rapid Response Mission

On 21 May 1989, a major earthquake swarm on the Reykjanes Ridge at59°44 N, 29°32 W at a water depth of about 1000 m andabout 500 km southwest of Iceland was detected on both the WorldwideStandard Seismic Network (WWSSN) and Icelandic seismic networks. As part ofa multi-institutional response to this swarm, the Naval ResearchLaboratory arranged for a P3 Orion Aircraft to deploy sonobuoys and AXBTs inthe immediate vicinity of the swarm activity. The detection of the swarmmotivated a survey of the region in 1990, using the towed SeaMARC IIside-looking sonar system. In 1990–1991 the Russian ShirshovInstitute of Oceanology offered the use of its MIR deep-divingsubmersibles to investigate the rise axis for recent volcanism. During 1992,a scientific team comprised of five US and ten Russian scientists mobilizedthe twin, deep diving Russian submersibles to study the spreading axis ofthe Reykjanes Ridge. The resulting data analyses allows us to conclude thatthe 1989 seismic swarm event occurred adjacent to and east of the largeaxial high in the center of our survey area. The length, width and depthrange of the earthquakes were very similar to major seismic swarm eventsconfined to fissure systems in the Krafla region of Iceland. It is likelythat the earthquake swarm was located on a fresh, well-defined systemof fissures and faults extending south of the northernmost axial highstudied. The earthquake swarm was probably associated with an emanation oflava creating a region of high backscatter, located just to the east of thecentral axial high. In addition, the region of high-backscatterremains unsampled because it lay underneath the nadir of the processedSeaMARC tracks used to plan the submersible survey. However many sampleswere taken and structural studies of the evolving Reykjanes Ridge werecarried out.     

Factors to consider in evaluating the management and conservation effectiveness of a whale sanctuary to protect and conserve the North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis)

This paper examines key factors used in protecting the migratory North Atlantic right whale within the context of a marine protected area (MPA) system, using the Grand Manan Whale Conservation Area, in New Brunswick Canada, as a case study example. Designated as a conservation area in 1993, before the Oceans Act came into effect, the Grand Manan conservation area currently does not form part of the Canadian network of MPAs. Given the possibility that MPA designation may occur, the paper examines factors that should be considered in meeting International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) MPA design criteria and IUCN evaluation model requirements. An MPA evaluation framework based on an IUCN evaluation model (Hockings et al., 2000 [1]) is designed to assess the effectiveness of an MPA in protecting a migratory right whale. Case study results indicate that current management and research activities for the Grand Manan conservation area address most governance, biophysical and socio-economic issues under an IUCN evaluation framework. On a site basis, it is recommended that the Grand Manan conservation area be designated as a component of the Canadian network of MPAs and that regulations be developed and implemented under the Species at Risk Act to clearly define activities considered damaging or destructive to right whale critical habitat. Recommendations also suggest the preparation of a combined site management-action plan for the Grand Manan conservation area indicating how activities specified in North Atlantic Right Whale Recovery Strategy will be implemented locally. On a regional and international basis, recommendations call for an internationally coordinated and integrated approach to right whale protection within the context of a network of designated critical habitat areas. Recommended activities include: continued Canadian participation in cross-border research and actions to mitigate threats to the right whales over their migratory range; development of a regional right whale management and monitoring strategy; and designation of additional critical habitats in national/international waters. It is further recommended that the evaluation framework developed by this paper be used as a model in assessing the conservation and management effectiveness of MPAs protecting other migratory marine species.     

Combining Argo profiles with a general circulation model in the North Atlantic. Part 2: Realistic transports and improved hydrography,between spring 2002 and spring 2003

A set of Argo profiles collected in the North Atlantic between May 2002 and April 2003 is combined with a low-resolution general circulation model (GCM) using the adjoint method. Fitting the real hydrographic observations leads to vast improvements in the model circulation, including the sea surface height and the meridional heat transport. We find striking differences in basin-scale transports compared with previous assimilation experiments that use the same GCM and a similar spatial resolution. Based on forward modeling studies, it is argued that these differences are due to different assimilation experiment durations. Over 1 year, the hydrography interpolated with the GCM from Argo profiles better represents the contemporary structures than does a long-term averaged climatology. The GCM dynamics are robust enough to distinguish between contemporary hydrography and climatological hydrography.     

Combining Argo profiles with a general circulation model in the North Atlantic. Part 1: Estimation of hydrographic and circulation anomalies from synthetic profiles,over a year

Argo is a global array of profiling floats that provides temperature (T) and salinity (S) profiles from 2000 m to the surface every ten days with a nominal spatial resolution of 3°. Here we present idealized experiments where the adjoint method is used to synthesize simulated sets of Argo profiles with a general circulation model, over a one-year period, in the North Atlantic. Using a number of drifting profilers consistent with Argo deployment objectives, the simulated array permits one to identify large-scale anomalies in the hydrography and circulation, despite the presence of a simulated eddy noise of large amplitude. Model dynamics provide an objective means to distinguish eddy noise from large-scale oceanic variability, and to infer the absolute velocity field (including abyssal velocities and sea surface height) from sets of Argo profiles of T and S. In particular, our idealized experiments suggest that volume and heat transports can be efficiently constrained by sets of Argo profiles. Increasing the number of Argo floats seems to be an adequate strategy to further reduce errors in circulation estimates.     

Review of three-dimensional ecological modelling related to the North Sea shelf system: Part 1: models and their results

The state-of-the-art in modelling the marine ecosystem of the greater North Sea is reviewed, providing an overview especially about three-dimensional models that describe and predict how the marine ecosystem of the greater North Sea area functions and how concentrations and fluxes of biologically important elements vary in space and time, throughout the shelf and over years, in response to physical forcing. Articles with a strong concentration on modelling were selected from the available literature, and all articles around the existing “ecological modelling groups” dealing with the area of the North Sea were sorted in chronological order of their appearance in the literature. We found eleven of such groups and described their different modelling efforts. Selecting the seven three-dimensional models (NORWECOM, GHER, ECOHAM, ERSEM, ELISE, COHERENS and POL3dERSEM), we characterized the complexity of the models, by comparing the resolution in time and space, and the resolution of the trophic structure by discussing the number and kind of state variables and of the processes relating these state variables to each other.The review of biogeochemical/ecological modelling for the greater North Sea shows that important findings by model simulations have either confirmed existing knowledge derived from field work or have given new insight into the mechanisms of the functioning of the North Sea system: the temporal and spatial development and magnitude of primary production, its spreading from the coasts to the north-west over the open North Sea, its mechanisms of limitation, the functioning of the pelagic small food web and of the benthic web, the mechanisms of nutrient regeneration, the effects of riverine and atmospheric nutrient inputs causing eutrophication of coastal waters, the extent of eutrophication in the North Sea, and the budgets for nitrogen, phosphorus, and silicon. The three-dimensional ecological models of the greater North Sea have provided consistent distributions and dynamics of the lower trophic levels on their regional, annual and decadal scales which cannot be derived to this degree of coverage by observations.The state-of-the-art in validation for these models is presented in part 2     

Seasonal export and sediment preservation of diatomaceous, foraminiferal and organic matter mass fluxes in a trophic gradient across the SE Atlantic

Seasonal deposition fluxes of sinking phytoplankton, zooplankton and major mass compounds (i.e. calcium carbonate, biogenic opal and organic matter), intercepted by deep-moored sediment traps, are contrasted with their sediment accumulation rates over the 2700 m deep central Walvis Ridge in the oligotrophic SE Atlantic. These data provide the first seasonally resolved record of biogenic particle fluxes in the South Atlantic Central Gyre and serve as the oligotrophic end member of a gradient across the Benguela system to the highly productive coastal upwelling off Namibia. Maximum fluxes at the central Walvis Ridge were deposited in early austral spring, following winter deepening of the surface mixed layer and associated nutrient entrainment. Nearly 25% of the annual mass flux arrived in October, when sea surface temperature rose, deep vertical mixing halted and surface production collapsed. The annual flux of diatoms was dominated by small specimens of Nitzschia bicapitata (60%) whereas Globorotalia inflata dominated the foraminiferal fluxes (25%). Diatom diversity dropped significantly during the bloom periods, when up to 80% was composed of small N. bicapitata, but foraminiferal diversity remained about constant. The diatom flux maximum, together with those of biogenic silica and organic matter, preceded those of the foraminifera, pteropods, carbonate and total mass by 1 week. Fluxes of the left- and right-coiled shells of the deep-dwelling foraminifer Globorotalia truncatulinoides peaked in different seasons, a distinctive ecological behaviour which merits their taxonomic recognition as separate species. These findings testify to recent evidence for the existence of several genetic species within G. truncatulinoides and now suggest that such species may also have different seasonal responses.The Benguela trophic gradient showed a shoreward increase in particle fluxes, but differences were surprisingly small, testifying to only moderately enhanced export productivity and deposition at the Namibian margin relative to the oligotrophic central gyre. From the open ocean toward coastal upwelling, small and weakly silicified diatoms were substituted by other, larger and more heavily silicified species, possibly in response to decreased silica limitation. Foraminiferal deposition fluxes were increasingly dominated by G. inflata, accompanied by a change-over from many warm- to few cold-water minor species. The late winter maximum at the Namibian margin and the early spring maximum at the central Walvis Ridge were generated by the same process of collapsing surface productivity in response to the shut down of nutrient entrainment at the winter to summer transition, although delayed by up to 2 months in the Central Gyre. At the sediment-water interface, intense degradation of organic matter and biogenic silica resulted in poor preservation accompanied by pronounced changes in the species composition of siliceous phytoplankton. Of all particle groups at the central Walvis Ridge, only the export of foraminiferal shells appeared to be fully transferred into the sediment, and through their species assemblage to provide a sedimentary record of past seasonal productivity conditions of the upper ocean.