Process length variation in cysts of the dinoflagellate Protoceratium reticulatum,from surface sediments of the Baltic–Kattegat–Skagerrak estuarine system: a regional salinity proxy |
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| Authors: | KENNETH NEIL MERTENS BARRIE DALE MARIANNE ELLEGAARD IDA‐MARIA JANSSON ANNA GODHE ANKE KREMP STEPHEN LOUWYE |
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| Institution: | 1. Research Unit Palaeontology, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281 s8, 9000 Ghent, Belgium;2. Department of Geosciences, University of Oslo, PB 1047 Blindern, N‐0316 Oslo, Norway;3. Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, ?ster Farimagsgade 2D DK‐1353 Copenhagen K, Denmark;4. Department of Geology, Earth Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, 22 Russell Street, Toronto, ON, Canada, M5S 3B1;5. Department of Marine Ecology, University of Gothenburg, PO Box 461, SE 405 30 G?teborg, Sweden;6. Marine Research Centre, Finnish Environment Institute, PO Box 140, 00251 Helsinki, Finland |
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| Abstract: | Mertens, K. N., Dale, B., Ellegaard, M., Jansson, I.‐M., Godhe, A., Kremp, A. & Louwye, S. 2010: Process length variation in cysts of the dinoflagellate Protoceratium reticulatum, from surface sediments of the Baltic–Kattegat–Skagerrak estuarine system: a regional salinity proxy. Boreas, 10.1111/j.1502‐3885.2010.00193.x. ISSN 0300‐9483. Results are presented from a regional comparison of average process length variation in cysts of Protoceratium reticulatum and Lingulodinium polyedrum, extracted from surface sediments in the Skagerrak–Kattegat–Baltic estuarine system, with the environmental variables of seawater temperature and salinity. Although too few cysts of Lingulodinium polyedrum were recovered from the sediments to make reliable correlations, cysts of Protoceratium reticulatum were well represented, and average process length was correlated significantly with both salinity and temperature. Owing to dominant summer surface production, and regional covariation between salinity and density, we propose the use of the significant correlation with summer sea surface salinity (SSSsummer) by the equation SSSsummer=3.16 × average process length ?0.84 (R2=0.8). Application of this equation down‐core in Limfjord (northern Denmark) shows its usefulness as a regional palaeosalinity proxy. |
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