渤海莱州湾表层沉积物中底栖有孔虫分布特征及其环境意义

对渤海莱州湾海域240个站位表层沉积物中底栖有孔虫群落进行了分析,共鉴定常见的底栖有孔虫42种。结果表明,莱州湾表层沉积物中底栖有孔虫主要以玻璃质壳为主(平均丰度达70.9%),瓷质壳含量次之,胶结壳含量最低;玻璃质壳占有孔虫全群的百分含量,随水深的增加而增加;从黄河口向外海方向,有孔虫分异度和丰度都逐渐增大。该海域底栖有孔虫平面分布的主要控制因素为盐度和底质沉积物类型,大体可分为两个组合分区,I区为Ammonia beccarii-Quinqueloculina spp.组合,代表盐度较低的近岸海陆过渡浅水环境;II区为Cribrononionsub-incertum-Protelphidium tuberculatum组合,代表盐度较高的远岸内陆架环境。     

台湾海峡西北部平潭岛海域表层沉积物中底栖有孔虫分布及其环境控制因素

对台湾海峡西北部平潭岛海域337个站位表层沉积物中底栖有孔虫进行分析鉴定,结果表明底栖有孔虫丰度、分异度变化较大,所出现的属种类型以玻璃质壳体为主,其次为瓷质壳,胶结壳最少。底栖有孔虫分布受水深、盐度、底质类型、底流和沿岸上升流等因素共同影响。应用‘PAST’软件的因子分析结果表明,该海域底栖有孔虫可划分为四个组合:组合Ⅰ(Hanzawaia-Pseudorotalia-Bolivina)主要分布于水深大于20m的深水区,受水深和底流影响明显;组合Ⅱ(Ammonia beccarii-Elphidiumspp.)主要分布于近岸浅水环境;组合Ⅲ(Quinqueloculina-Ammonia annectens-Spiroloculina)主要分布于海湾内高盐度区,推测受到沿岸上升流影响;组合Ⅳ(Elphidium advenum-Ammonia annectens)分布于组合Ⅰ与组合Ⅲ之间的局部区域,可能受浙闽沿岸流影响较强。     

北部湾中部海域底质沉积物中的有孔虫

本文对北部湾中部海域水深2.4m到61m、共计184个站位表层沉积物中的有孔虫进行研究。结果显示浮游有孔虫丰度非常低,种类也较稀少,仅在南侧水深较大的少数站位有发现,且含量不超过5%;而底栖有孔虫则较丰富,多数样品中以含有螺旋式与平旋式的玻璃质壳类型为主,暖水或大型底栖有孔虫分子常见。和其它海区相较而言,该海域底栖有孔虫中胶结壳类含量偏高,可能与沉积物底质颗粒较粗及海水盐度较低有关。该研究详细报道了底栖有孔虫主要属种在北部湾的分布特征。与海洋环境对比显示,水深和沉积物底质类型是影响这些属种平面分布的主要因素,而湾外温暖水团则是控制暖水种分子分布的另一重要因素。     

粤东品清湖表层沉积物有孔虫分布特征及其环境指示意义

有孔虫是海洋环境中一种重要的原生动物,对环境变化响应敏感。潟湖作为海陆交互连接带,生境梯度明显,但目前学术界对此类水体中有孔虫种群的研究报道有限。本文以中国典型潟湖广东省汕尾市品清湖为例,于2021年至2022年间系统调查了该湖不同区域20个采样点的水环境参数(水深、盐度和pH值等)、沉积物的环境特征(粒度和污染物含量等)及有孔虫的群落组成。结果显示品清湖现今水质大部分均为四类或劣四类,活性磷酸盐和无机氮超标严重;重金属Cu、Zn和Hg浓度相对较高,部分区域浓度达到二类标准。该湖表层沉积物中共鉴定出底栖有孔虫15属35种,以玻璃质壳(Hyaline)为主,瓷质壳(Porcelaneous)次之,胶结质(Agglutinated)含量最低,优势属种为Ammonia aomoriensis, Elphidium advenum, Elphidium hispidulum和Spiroloculina laevigata,丰度及分异度呈现西部入海口高,东部低。统计分析结果显示,影响品清湖有孔虫分布的主要环境因子为水深和水体Cu浓度,分别解释了34.2%和14.9%的有孔虫群落信息。研究结果表明...     

海南岛近岸沉积物中的有孔虫特征与分布

对位于海南岛近岸7-170 m水深、180个站位沉积物表层样的有孔虫分析表明,研究区浮游有孔虫类型较少、共发现浮游有孔虫19种,单个站位最多含有浮游有孔虫16种,而且浮游有孔虫含量(丰度)亦较低.底栖有孔虫则较为丰富,仅在较粗砂中底栖有孔虫丰度相对较低.常见近40多个底栖有孔虫属种,多数样品中以含有螺旋式与平旋式玻璃质底栖有孔虫为主,少数样品以胶结壳、列式玻璃质壳或大型底栖有孔虫为优势特征.本研究在详细阐述了底栖有孔虫主要特征属种的基础上进行了有孔虫分区,从而揭示其所包含的环境意义.     

南海北部MD12-3429站位海水古生产力和溶解氧含量特征*

南海北部陆坡较高的沉积速率,为研究亚轨道尺度的气候变化提供了绝佳的材料。本次研究对南海北部MD12-3429站位(20°08.52′N,115°49.84′E,水深903m)0—35.21m沉积物中的底栖有孔虫属种进行统计,运用沉积物粗组分、底栖有孔虫丰度、特定环境下的底栖有孔虫属种含量(Cibicidoides wuellerstorfi,Uvigernia,Bulimina,Chilostomella oolina和Globobulimina pacifica)及底栖有孔虫堆积速率(BFAR)等指标综合研究MIS7期(约24.3万年)以来的南海北部初级生产力和中层水海水溶解氧含量的变化,并对其影响因素进行探讨分析。结果表明,该站位自MIS7期以来表层海水的营养总体呈现间冰期高、冰期低的特点,而底层水的溶解氧含量在间冰期低、冰期高,这可能受到东亚季风冬季风带来营养元素的影响。该站位水深903m,处于南海中层过渡带,本次研究的结果反映了南海北部中层水MIS7期以来营养与溶解氧含量特征。     

西藏岗巴地区Cenomanian-Turonian界线附近底栖有孔虫古环境指标及其古海洋学意义

在Cenomanian/Turonian界线(ca.93Ma)前后全球性的大洋缺氧背景下,藏南岗巴地区发育一套以深灰绿色-灰黑色钙质页岩、泥页岩为主夹少量灰岩透镜体的富有机碳沉积,有孔虫化石保存较好,含量丰富,其中底栖有孔虫在恢复古水深、底层水溶解氧浓度和古海洋生产力等方面具重要意义。C/T界线附近底栖有孔虫纵向上大致可划分为3个演化阶段。主要优势属种包括Dorothia,Anomalinoides,Lenticulina,Conobina等,浮游/底栖比率在50%-80%之间,指示了水深约100-200m的Ⅳ2生境型(外陆棚-陆架边缘斜坡环境)。底栖有孔虫氧指数(BFOI)在-6--25之间,对应的溶解氧含量约为0.7-1.4ml/L,与同时期其它地区相比偏低,属弱氧化环境。内生种百分含量和深内生种/外生种比率均指示了C/T界线附近较高的生产力水平。短期的海洋生产力的勃发很可能是加剧海水缺氧的主要原因,而长期的弱氧化条件的形成很可能是同时期一系列环境事件所导致的氧气供应量不足所致。     

渤海湾大型底栖动物调查及与环境因子的相关性

对渤海湾大型底栖动物和环境因子进行调查,利用多元分析技术对大型底栖动物与环境因子之间的关系进行研究。调查期间共发现大型底栖动物45种,平均密度为406个/m2。大型底栖动物数量空间变化明显,呈现从近岸到外海降低的变化特征。运用典范对应分析(CCA)探讨大型底栖动物与环境因子之间的关系,并采用向前引入法对环境因子进行逐步筛选,Monte Carlo置换检验结果显示,水深、无机氮和溶解氧是影响渤海湾大型底栖动物空间分布的关键环境因子。     

椒江口潮间带大型底栖动物的生态位

2007年10月,运用生态位理论,对椒江口潮间带大型底栖动物优势种群生态位宽度和生态位重叠进行了分析,并采用典范对应分析法分析了各采样断面自然因子（盐度、水温、沉积物温度、滩涂宽度和沉积物粒度）和污染因子（油类、重金属含量）对环境异质性的影响以及环境因子与各类群生物数量分布的关系.结果表明：研究区大型底栖动物的优势种按取食方式可分为穴居底表捕食型、底表啮食型、底内滤食型和底内吞食型四大类群;各优势种群间生态位宽度的差异较大,最大值和最小值分别为0.428和0.168,表明各类群动物对环境因子的适应能力存在差异;在生态位重叠值大于0.6水平上,日本大眼蟹与明秀大眼蟹(第一类群)间和微黄镰玉螺、泥螺、习见织纹螺、勋章饰孔螺、短拟沼螺、彩拟蟹守螺(第二类群)间以及光滑河蓝蛤、中国绿螂、彩虹明樱蛤(第三类群)间的生态位重叠较为显著,对环境资源利用方式较为相似.     

舟山港表层沉积物中底栖有孔虫组合特征初步研究

作者对舟山港区43个表层沉积物样品进行定量分析,共鉴定出底栖有孔虫33属60种。研究海域各站位均发现浮游有孔虫壳体,个体细小、属种单一,未发现活体个体。研究海域底栖有孔虫组合以玻璃质壳为主,平均含量86.71%,有孔虫丰度均值为1 676枚/50克,总体有孔虫组合为Ammonia beccarii vars.-A.maruhasii-Epistominella naraensis。研究发现,表层沉积物中大个体有孔虫(Ammonia beccarii vars.等)与小个体有孔虫(Epistominella naraensis)分布与潮流搬运呈密切相关关系,提示可能存在不同的搬运机制。与前人研究相比,研究海域有孔虫组合呈现以下变化:(1)胶结质壳有孔虫含量增加,个别站位出现15.89%的高值;(2)出现耐污染属种;(3)环境敏感属种畸形比例增加。研究表明,沉积搬运作用和环境参数变化是影响研究区有孔虫组合的重要因素,为有孔虫作为环境指标的进一步研究提供了基础数据。     

Multivariate analysis and quantitative paleoecology of benthic foraminifera in surface and Late Quaternary shelf sediments,northern Canada

Benthic foraminifera in surface sediments from northeastern Canada and the Beaufort Shelf were studied to determine the quantitative relationship between recent assemblage distributions and modern water depth, temperature and salinity. Factor analysis shows that 7 factor assemblages account for 92% of the variance between samples. Multiple linear regression shows that different factors are significantly related to water depth, August bottom water temperature or salinity. Multiple correlation coefficients for depth, temperature and salinity are 0.94, 0.72 and 0.92, respectively. Labrador fjords contain arenaceous faunas dominated by eitherSaccammina atlantica andReophax fusiformis or byEggerella advena. Regression analysis shows that theSaccammina-Reophax factor is most strongly related to salinity. TheEggerella factor is related to depth and temperature. A fauna dominated byTrochammina nana andBuliminella elegantissima is correlated with warm, deep water in Davis Strait. Calcareous assemblages dominated byElphidium excavatum orCassidulina reniforme are found in Arctic bays and shelf areas. These factor assemblages are strongly related to temperature and depth;Cassidulina is also related to salinity. AnIslandiella helenae fauna on the inner Labrador Shelf is strongly correlated with depth and salinity. ANonionellina labradorica fauna in deep shelf basins is closely related to salinity.The multiple regression model for the sea-bed data estimates water depth, August bottom water temperature and salinity within confidence limits of ± 67 m, 1.3°C and 1.0‰. Paleoecological transfer functions were used to quantify environmental changes recorded by the foraminifera in two piston cores on a transect across the Labrador Shelf. Paleo-depth estimates obtained from the core data produce relative sea-level curves which are similar in shape to theoretical curves for this region. Paleo-salinity and -temperature estimates for offshore Core 12 show that the change from a postglacialNonionellina fauna to a late glacialE. excavatum fauna is accompanied by a decrease of about 2‰ in salinity and 4°C in temperature. Paleoecological estimates for fjord Core 111 show that the change from a modernSaccammina-Reophax fauna to a mid-HoloceneI. helenae fauna corresponds to a salinity increase of 3–5‰ and temperature increase of 1–2°C.     

奥茅卷转虫Ammonia aomoriensis(Asano,1951)与毕克卷转虫Ammonia beccarii(Linnaeus,1758)(有孔虫)的分类学以及在黄东海分布的温盐深特征比较研究

Ammonia aomoriensis(Asano,1951)和Ammonia beccarii(Linnaeus,1758)是两个形态学易混淆,但被广泛使用并具有重要环境指示意义的有孔虫。通过对渤海、黄海和东海陆架区60个站位表层沉积物的水平分布调查,并连续17个月对潮间带分低潮区和高潮区进行了季节调查,对二者的形态分类、生态分布和环境关系进行比较研究。结果表明A.aomoriensis和A.beccarii在潮间带的丰度都有季节性变化,体现冬高夏低的特点,前者一般在高潮区较多,后者在低潮区较多。二者的丰度从潮间带到陆架区随着水深的增加呈阶梯式锐减:平均含量分别达22%和39%;在水深<20m的陆架区平均含量分别降至15%和6%;在水深>20m的陆架区平均含量分别再次降至0.6%和1.4%。统计分析表明二者对盐度和水深的响应相似,但对温度的反应存在差异:在潮间带环境,二者的丰度都与盐度显著正相关;在浅海陆架环境,二者的丰度都与水深呈显著负相关;无论在潮间带还是陆架海区,A.beccarii的丰度都与海水温度呈显著负相关,但A.aomoriensis与温度相关性不显著。本研究结果显示A.aomoriensis和A.beccarii对滨岸浅海都具有优越的指示作用,在古环境分析中,首先可根据二者的含量进行环境推测(潮间带或者陆架浅海),再利用不同环境下本文所建立的线性方程对海水温、盐、深进行大体的估算。     

Factors controlling the distribution of planktonic foraminifera in the Red Sea and implications for the development of transfer functions

The Red Sea is an extreme marine environment, with conditions limiting the application of standard geochemical proxies for the reconstruction of paleoclimate. In order to develop paleoenvironmental reconstruction methods which are not dependent on chemical signals, we investigated the distribution of planktonic foraminifera in the surface sediments and assessed the viability of constructing foraminiferal transfer functions in this basin. We find a distinct gradient in the faunal assemblage along the basin's axis, which is reflected in a high correlation between faunal composition and all considered environmental parameters (temperature, salinity, chlorophyll a concentration, stratification, and oxycline depth). As a result, transfer functions constructed by different methods (ANN, MAT, IKM, WA-PLS) appear to be able to estimate all of these parameters with a high average accuracy (15% of the parameter's range in the Red Sea). However, redundancy analysis of the distribution of foraminiferal assemblages in surface sediments alone did not yield unambiguous results in terms of which of the considered factors exerts a primary control on the foraminifera distribution and which of the observed relationships are the result of the mutual correlation among the environmental factors. To disentangle the effect of individual environmental parameters, we applied the obtained transfer functions on a newly generated Holocene record from the central Red Sea. The integration of published paleoclimate reconstructions with our data allowed us to identify productivity as the most likely primary control of the planktonic foraminifera distribution in the Red Sea. The generated transfer functions can estimate paleoproductivity with acceptable accuracy (RMSEP chlorophyll a = 0.1 mg/m³; ~ 8% of recent range), but only under such conditions in the past when circulation patterns and salinity levels in the basin were fundamentally comparable to the present day. Since productivity in the central and southern Red Sea is closely linked with the Monsoon-driven water exchange across the Strait of Bab al Mandab, the resulting reconstructions can provide indirect information on the mode and intensity of the monsoonal system in the past.     

Oxygen isotopic evidence for the depth stratification of tertiary and cretaceous planktic foraminifera

Oxygen isotope analyses of Tertiary and Cretaceous planktic foraminifera indicate that species have been stratified with respect to depth in the water column at least since Albian time. There is a relationship between morphology and depth habitat. Species with globigerine morphology have consistently occupied shallower depths than have species with globorotalid morphology. Biserially arranged species occupied both shallow and deep levels in the water column. On the average, it appears that ancient species with shallow habitats have been more susceptible to dissolution and have been preserved less well than species dwelling in deeper habitats. This relationship is similar to that observed for Recent planktic foraminifera. Comparison of carbon isotope ratios of adult and juvenile forms indicates that either the source of the carbon found in the shell or the carbon isotopic fractionations which occur during calcite secretion change during the development of individual foraminifera. The carbon isotopic ratios do not provide a reliable means for reconstructing the depth habitats of ancient species. Temperature-depth profiles for tropical Tertiary oceans have been reconstructed from the isotopic temperatures of planktic and benthic foraminifera. The vertical thermal structure of Oligocene oceans resembled that of modern oceans most closely. Those of Paleocene and Maastrichtian times differed most from that of modern oceans.     

Benthic foraminiferal distributions in Chilean fjords: 47°S to 54°S

Surface sediment samples collected from the fjord region of southern Chile (47° to 54° South) were analyzed for benthic foraminifera. A total of 175 species were identified including agglutinated and calcareous benthic taxa. Hierarchical cluster analysis of the foraminiferal data resulted in the recognition of three distinct biofacies: inner-fjord, intermediate fjord and channel, and oceanic biofacies, geographically controlled by relative position between the Pacific Ocean and fjord heads. Similarity percentage (SIMPER) analysis identified key taxa in the definition of the biofacies that include Globocassidulina rossensis, Cassidulina laevigata and Bulimina notovata. Principal components analysis resulted in two principal components representing sediment size, and bottom water temperature and salinity.Regional distributions are strongly controlled by the oceanographic conditions influenced from the Pacific in the west and the glacial/freshwater input from the east. Localized distributions of foraminifera are controlled by conditions influenced by the physiography of the individual fjords and channels. The distribution of Chilean fjord foraminifera and their environmental associations are consistent with results from other temperate to high latitude fjord foraminiferal studies.     

Recent benthic foraminifera from the continental margin of northwest Africa: Community structure and distribution

Sediment grab samples were collected at 107 locations along the continental margin of northwest Africa. These samples form a series of depth transects between the Straits of Gibraltar and Dakar, Senegal. The greater than 250 μm size fraction was retained for a census of both the live and dead foraminifera. After deleting trace occurrences, Jaccard and correlation coefficient-based cluster analyses were performed to decipher the community structure for this margin.The geographic distribution of the four major faunal provinces recognized is conventional in that for both the live and dead assemblages three are related to depth: upper slope and shelf, middle slope, and lower slope and continental rise. The biotopes and thanatotopes within these provinces are strongly restricted along vertical or latitudinal boundaries when the data are analysed using Jaccard coefficients. Dendrograms constructed from correlation coefficients emphasize depth-related faunal communities. Dominant species such asCibicides lobatulus, Trifarina fornasinii, Planulina ariminensis, Uvigerina finisterrensis, andC. wuellerstorfi are generally distributed within a definite depth range along this margin and strongly influence the correlation coefficient-based dendrograms. Other distributions are clearly not depth-related but correspond to various environmental variables, for example:Cancris auriculus — coarse substrate;Bolivina subaenariensis — oxygen minimum;Cibicidoides kullenbergi andHoeglundina elegans — low organic carbon.Uvigerina peregrina is also a notable exception to depth-dependence in that this dominant species and the province it represents are generally confined to the continental slope south of Cape Blanc. Its preference for that region may arise from the high organic carbon and fine grain-size of the sediment there, from low salinity of the bottom water, or from other unknown variables. The most important vertical faunal boundary occurs between Cape Barbas and Cape Blanc (between 22° and 21°N latitude). In contrast, the Canary Island Ridge intersects the continental margin at a saddle depth of about 1500 m, but that physiographic barrier has little effect on provincialism of the deep-water benthic foraminifera.     

Carbon and oxygen isotope geochemistry of live (stained) benthic foraminifera from the Aleutian Margin and the Southern Australian Margin

Comparisons of ambient bottom-water geochemistry and stable isotopic values of the tests of living (stained) calcareous benthic foraminifera from the North Pacific (on the Aleutian Margin, water depth 1988 m) and Murray Canyons group in the Southern Indian Ocean (Australian Margin, water depths 2476 m and 1634 m) provide modern environmental analogs to calibrate paleoenvironmental assessments. Consistent with the hypothesis that microhabitat preferences influence foraminiferal isotopic values, benthic foraminifera from both margins were depleted in ¹³C with respect to bottom-water dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC). The carbon isotope values of deep infaunal foraminifera (Chilostomella oolina, Globobulimina pacifica) showed greater differences from estimates of those of DIC than shallow benthic foraminifera (Bulimina mexicana, Bolivinita quadrilatera, Pullenia bulloides). This study provides new isotopic and ecological information for B. quadrilatera. The mean Δδ¹³C value, defined as foraminiferal δ¹³C values minus estimated ambient δ¹³C values from the Aleutian Margin, is 0.97‰ higher for G. pacifica than the mean from the Murray Canyon. This difference may result either from genetic or biological differences between the populations or from differences in environmental isotopic influences (such as pore water differences) that were not accounted for in the equilibrium calculations. These analyses provide calibration information for the evaluation of bottom water conditions and circulation patterns of ancient oceans based on fossil foraminiferal geochemistry.     

Depth-related patterns in benthic community condition along an estuarine gradient in Chesapeake Bay,USA

We tested whether macrobenthic community condition varies significantly with water depth in a variety of regions of Chesapeake Bay, USA. Benthic community condition was characterized using the Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity (B-IBI) previously developed for the Bay. We applied two water depth thresholds intended to emphasize the ecological importance and/or anthropogenic impacts upon shallow-water regions. The first threshold of 2 m emphasizes restoring and supporting submerged aquatic vegetation while the second threshold of 4 m emphasizes the zone of maximum anthropogenic impact upon natural ecosystem functions. An a priori expectation is that benthic community condition may worsen with increasing depth, specifically in regions (1) where water column stratification at depth results in prolonged low dissolved oxygen levels or (2) where net deposition at depth results in higher levels of hydrophobic, sediment-bound contaminants. Samples collected from a major tributary of Chesapeake Bay, the York River estuary, spanned the entire salinity range from tidal freshwater to polyhaline. We also tested the shallow-water depth thresholds using data from the Virginia Mainstem of Chesapeake Bay and the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River. These two polyhaline regions are characterized as having the best and worst benthic community condition in Chesapeake Bay. At the scale of the entire tidal York River system, there were no significant differences in benthic community condition with water depth. However, two salinity regions, low mesohaline and polyhaline, had significant depth effects with the shallowest water depth zone significantly different from the other two depth regions. For the low mesohaline region benthic community condition was worse at the shallowest depth and for the polyhaline region the shallowest depth was better comparing the three depth regions. No depth-related differences in the B-IBI were found for the two additional Chesapeake Bay strata, the Virginia Mainstem characterized with the lowest levels of benthic community degradation and for the Southern branch of the Elizabeth River, characterized by the highest levels of benthic community degradation. We conclude that the ecological state of Chesapeake Bay subtidal benthic communities is adequately characterized by randomly sampling all depths without further stratification into shallow and deeper regions.     

Paleoenvironmental evolution of the eastern Mediterranean during the Messinian: Constraints from integrated microfossil data of the Pissouri Basin (Cyprus)

Integrated data of calcareous nannofossils, as well as planktonic and benthic foraminifera from the Pissouri Motorway section on Cyprus allow the reconstruction of surface- and bottom-water paleoenvironments of the eastern Mediterranean during the interval preceding the Messinian salinity crisis (MSC). Contrary to deeper-water locations, where benthic foraminifera faunas are suppressed or absent just after the Tortonian–Messinian boundary, sediments deposited at intermediate water depths do contain benthic assemblages. From the earliest Messinian onwards, a development towards increasingly unfavourable paleoenvironments is reflected in the planktonic and benthic microfossil records of the Pissouri section and proceeds with rather discrete time steps that can be correlated to sequences throughout the Mediterranean. Shortly after the Tortonian–Messinian boundary a transition is recorded in the sedimentology and the open marine, deeper-water taxa disappear from the benthic foraminifera assemblages; subsequently, the diversity of all fauna groups diminishes. The changes recorded at species level in both surface-water and sea-floor dwelling taxa suggest decreasing circulation of the bottom waters, associated with changes in the surface waters, most likely due to increasing stratification. From ∼6.73 Ma onwards, our data indicate a prominent change to more restricted conditions and increasing salinity at the sea floor together with intermittently rising surface water salinity. The dominance of oligotypic and monospecific assemblages and the frequent shifts in assemblage compositions of all microfossil groups indicate severely stressed environments after ∼6.4 Ma, probably related to increased salinity. The major changes in paleoenvironmental conditions, including oxygen deprivation due to stagnation and hypersalinity, can be explained by hydrographical changes in the Mediterranean basin, which are probably caused by tectonic movements in the Rif Corridor acting in concert with astronomical cyclicity. Evaluation of the paleodepth proxies indicates that the depth of the Pissouri Basin remained rather constant at ∼300–500 m, with a minimum of 200 m, until deposition of the “barre jaune”, the transitional interval towards the evaporites and that early shallowing to neritic depths, as was proposed before, is highly unlikely.