IODP Expedition U359: Nannofossil Assemblage Data from the Maldives

Nannofossil assemblage data collected from the Maldives Ridge in the Indian Ocean during IODP Expedition 359. The data was produced from NERC Grant NE/N014049/1 and is hosted by the British Geological Survey. The dataset was last updated on 2026-04-09.

Use Cases

• Analyzing long-term size variation in reticulofenestrid coccolithophores based on the described focus on size reduction events.
• Correlating changes in nannofossil assemblages with environmental proxies like temperature and seawater chemistry mentioned in the grant abstract.
• Studying intervals of abrupt change in plankton assemblages at high resolution as described for the thick sediment successions.
• Investigating linkages between pelagic and shallow marine carbonate systems as a primary goal of the expedition.

Strengths

• Data originates from a specific, well-documented scientific expedition (IODP Expedition 359) and NERC grant (NE/N014049/1).
• Focuses on a unique geological setting (Maldives Ridge) allowing comparison of open ocean and shallow marine carbonates.
• The dataset was last updated on 2026-04-09, suggesting recent maintenance.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• The primary file format is HTML, which may not be optimal for direct data analysis.

Provenance

Source

British Geological Survey (BGS)

Collection Method

Data collected from sediment cores during IODP Expedition 359.

Time Range

Covers the middle Miocene to recent, as mentioned in the description.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-09 08:34:08.634040; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Maldives Ridge, Indian Ocean.