1. Calcareous nannoplankton inside coralligenous build-ups: the case of Marzamemi (SE, Sicily)
- Author
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Bazzicalupo, P, Cipriani, M, Guido, A, Bracchi, V, Rosso, A, Basso, D, Bazzicalupo P., Cipriani M., Guido A., Bracchi V. A., Rosso A., Basso D., Bazzicalupo, P, Cipriani, M, Guido, A, Bracchi, V, Rosso, A, Basso, D, Bazzicalupo P., Cipriani M., Guido A., Bracchi V. A., Rosso A., and Basso D.
- Abstract
In the Mediterranean Sea, crustose coralline algae form mesophotic reefs referred to as Coralligenous. They act as a sediment trap and may be considered as a potential source of geological information. Two coralligenous build-ups collected during the project FISR “CRESCIBLUREEF” at 36 and 37 m water depth off the coast of south-eastern Sicily reveal the presence of calcareous nannoplankton/ nannofossil specimens within the sediment infilling. This novel finding reveals the occurrence of a mixed modern and reworked nannoplankton assemblage derived from marine-snow sedimentation and land weathering, respectively. The quantitative analysis of the assemblages from both build-ups shows a difference in sedimentation exposure derived from the different local environments where the build-ups were collected, highlighting the potential role of coccolithophores as a sedimentation proxy for coastal settings.
- Published
- 2024