Australian Ocean Data Network provides microfossil data from a ~2.68-meter marine sediment core near Maria Island, Tasmania, covering approximately 9,000 years. The dataset was created using polarising light and scanning electron microscopy combined with sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA) analysis. It reveals a shift from cold to warm-adapted coccolithophore assemblages around 8,200 years BP.
Use Cases
- Modeling long-term carbon pump dynamics based on coccolithophore CaCO3 sequestration data
- Reconstructing past positions of the Subtropical Front based on species assemblage transitions
- Comparing paleoclimate events across regions using the reported ~8,200-year transition
- Studying the relative contribution of different phytoplankton groups using the ~44% eukaryote sequence data for coccolithophores
Strengths
- Covers a long temporal span of approximately 9,000 years, extending the record beyond short-term datasets (~75 years)
- Integrates multiple analysis techniques: polarising light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA)
- Provides quantitative insights, such as larger taxa accounting for >50% of coccolith CaCO3 sequestration
Limitations
- Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
- Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment
- Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to data_gov_au, focusing on a single core from Tasmania
Provenance
- Source
- Australian Ocean Data Network
- Collection Method
- Analysis of coccolithophore microfossils using polarising light and scanning electron microscopy, combined with sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA) analysis.
- Time Range
- Approximately 9,000 years, with a noted transition around 8,200 years BP.
- Freshness
- Last updated 2026-06-16 22:32:52.836012; freshness should be verified
- Geography
- Marine sediment core from Maria Island, Tasmania, southeast Australia.