North Pacific Radiolarian assemblages and their relationship to oceanographic parameters

A quantitative study of the distribution of Radiolaria in surface sediments of the North Pacific has demonstrated the feasibility of utilizing complete radiolarian thanatocoenoses as indicators of past oceanographic conditions.In samples from 36 core tops from the region 33° N-54° N, 148° E-140° W, 87–96% of all radiolarians encountered could be assigned to one of 120 taxa recognized. Q-mode factor analysis of distributional data for the 57 most abundant species yields four independent assemblages. Three of these reflect near-surface oceanographic conditions, and the fourth responds to bottom conditions. Regression-developed transfer functions describe the relationship between the assemblages and oceanographic parameters.