Articles | Volume 23, issue 7
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-2525-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-2525-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
15 Apr 2026
Research article |
| 15 Apr 2026
| 15 Apr 2026
Marine eukaryote community responses to the climate and oceanographic changes in Storfjordrenna (southern Svalbard) over the past ∼ 13.3 kyr BP: insights from sedimentary ancient DNA analysis
Department of Palaeoceanography, Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Sopot 81-712, Poland
Magdalena Łącka
Department of Palaeoceanography, Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Sopot 81-712, Poland
Marek Zajączkowski
Department of Palaeoceanography, Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Sopot 81-712, Poland
Dhanushka Devendra
Department of Palaeoceanography, Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Sopot 81-712, Poland
Ngoc-Loi Nguyen
Department of Palaeoceanography, Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Sopot 81-712, Poland
Jan Pawłowski
Department of Palaeoceanography, Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Sopot 81-712, Poland
Joanna Pawłowska
Department of Palaeoceanography, Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Sopot 81-712, Poland
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Ewa Demianiuk, Mateusz Baca, Danijela Popović, Inès Barrenechea Angeles, Ngoc-Loi Nguyen, Jan Pawlowski, John B. Anderson, and Wojciech Majewski
Biogeosciences, 22, 2601–2620, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-2601-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-2601-2025, 2025
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Ancient foraminiferal DNA is studied in five Antarctic cores with sediments up to 25 kyr old. We use a standard and a new, more effective marker, which may become the next standard for paleoenvironmental studies. Much less diverse foraminifera occur on slopes of submarine moraines than in open-marine settings. Soft-walled foraminifera, not found in the fossil record, are especially abundant. There is no foraminiferal DNA in tills, suggesting its destruction during glacial redeposition.
Andrea Habura, Stephen P. Alexander, Steven D. Hanes, Andrew J. Gooday, Jan Pawlowski, and Samuel S. Bowser
J. Micropalaeontol., 43, 337–347, https://doi.org/10.5194/jm-43-337-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/jm-43-337-2024, 2024
Short summary
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Two species of giant, single-celled "trees” inhabit the seafloor in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. These unicellular creatures are large enough to be seen and counted by scuba divers. We found that one of the tree species is widely spread, whereas the other inhabits only a small region on the western side of the sound. These types of unicellular trees have not been found elsewhere in the world ocean and are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
Dhanushka Devendra, Natalia Szymańska, Magdalena Łącka, Małgorzata Szymczak-Żyła, Magdalena Krajewska, Maciej M. Telesiński, and Marek Zajączkowski
Clim. Past Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-2024-52, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-2024-52, 2024
Manuscript not accepted for further review
Short summary
Short summary
Our findings document four sediment-laden meltwater pulses between 14.7 and 8.2 kyr BP. These pulses, primarily driven by deglacial processes and supplemented by paleo-lake outbursts or paleo-tsunami currents, are marked by drops in sea surface temperatures, increased sea ice content, high terrigenous supply, and a limited influence of AW. One of the key highlights of our study is the evidence of the Storegga tsunami impact around 8.2 kyr BP, likely redistributed sediments in the NW Barents Sea.
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Short summary
This study reconstructs past marine eukaryotic communities in Storfjordrenna using sedimentary ancient deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) metabarcoding. Biodiversity remained stable over the past 13,300 years, with changes during major climate transitions. Cercozoans and marine stramenopiles dominated, indicating ecological flexibility. These findings highlight the value of sedimentary ancient DNA for tracking long-term marine ecosystem changes.
This study reconstructs past marine eukaryotic communities in Storfjordrenna using sedimentary...
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