Planktic Foraminifera Biostratigraphy of the Coral Sea, Offshore Queensland

Fifteen planktic foraminiferal biostratigraphic events from the latest Pliocene-Holocene have been examined in cores from the Coral Sea. The study proposes two new subzones and describes a single new species, Bolliella praeadamsi, for its biostratigraphic utility. Assemblage analysis indicates dominance by spinose, oligotrophic taxa with tropical and subtropical species, suggesting stable palaeoceanographic conditions.

Use Cases

• Establishing formal zonal and subzonal schemes based on identified biostratigraphic events.
• Studying faunal stability and dominance patterns of oligotrophic taxa mentioned in the description.
• Investigating potential reworking of sediments and its relation to sea-level fluctuations.
• Identifying evolutionary intermediates between species, such as Bolliella praeadamsi.
• Analyzing palaeoceanographic conditions and their relationship to observed faunal changes.

Strengths

• Examines 15 of 27 potential planktic foraminiferal biostratigraphic events.
• Proposes two new subzones and describes one new species.
• Analysis covers a time range from the latest Pliocene to the Holocene.

Limitations

• A hiatus in one core prevented study of most of the early Pleistocene.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Biostratigraphic examination of sediment cores.

Time Range

Latest Pliocene to Holocene

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-05 00:17:28.500943; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Coral Sea, offshore Queensland, Australia