Dear Dr Sollai and Prof. Damste

Thank you for your comprehensive responses to reviewer comments. I would like to invite you to submit a revised manuscript, containing the revisions that you have detailed, as well as your responses to the main points made by reviewers. As part of this I do not require the additional data suggested by Reviewer #3. Although this would certainly be interesting, I recognise that it is beyond the scope of the present study.

In addition I would appreciate it if you could accommodate the following two comments of mine, from my initial reading:

The introduction does not explain why this additional proxy record should be expected to provide a more definitive answer as to the question of whether or not HABs and anoxia are linked to human activity.

Page 3 line 35 – states that HGs will be used to trace anoxic events in the past. However, they are not a proxy for anoxia, only for the presence of cyanobacteria. Please amend this wording (this may already have been done in response to reviewer comments).

Regards,

Clare Woulds

Dear Dr Sollai

Thank your for your extensive response to reviewer comments, and for your accordingly revised manuscript. I am now happy to recommend publication in Biogeosciences.

Regards,

Clare Woulds