Description: The oxygen isotopic composition of benthic foraminifera (d18Ob) is widely used to date and correlate marine sediment sequences. However, d18Ob has found comparatively little use in the Arctic Ocean due both to uncertainty in Arctic marine sediment chronology and the lack of resemblance between Arctic and open ocean d18Ob records. We address this issue by combining Arctic d18Ob records (Cronin et al., 2019) with benthic ostracode Mg/Ca-BWT reconstructions (Cronin et al., 2017) to create a composite record of the history of seawater d18O in the intermediate-to-deep Arctic Ocean over the last 600 kyr. Seawater d18O and its uncertainty was calculated using PSU Solver (Thirumalai et al., 2016).

Description: The cyclic growth and decay of continental ice sheets can be reconstructed from the history of global sea level. Sea level is relatively well-constrained for the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM, 26,500-19,000 years ago, 26.5-19 ka) and the ensuing deglaciation. However, sea-level estimates for the period of ice-sheet growth before the LGM vary by 〉 60 m, an uncertainty comparable to the sea-level equivalent of the contemporary Antarctic Ice Sheet. Here we constrain sea level prior to the LGM by reconstructing the flooding history of the shallow Bering Strait since 46 ka. Our data constraint on Bering Strait flooding are nitrogen isotope measurements in organic matter bound in the planktonic foraminifer Neogloboquadrina pachyderma from four sediment cores in the Arctic Ocean, dating back to ~50,000 years before present. These data extend the previous measurements of Farmer et al., 2021 (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-021-00789-y). We additionally provide new Bayesian age-depth models for each sediment core based on existing radiocarbon (14C) measurements on N. pachyderma. The nitrogen isotope data are compared with a suite of reconstructions of global mean sea-level and relative sea level at the Bering Strait from glacial isostatic adjustment modeling covering the last 120,000 years.

Description: Aims Within the intensively‐studied, well‐documented latitudinal diversity gradient, the deep‐sea biodiversity of the present‐day Norwegian Sea stands out with its notably low diversity, constituting a steep latitudinal diversity gradient in the North Atlantic. The reason behind this has long been a topic of debate and speculation. Most prominently, it is explained by the deep‐sea glacial disturbance hypothesis, which states that harsh environmental glacial conditions negatively impacted Norwegian Sea diversities, which have not yet fully recovered. Our aim is to empirically test this hypothesis. Specific research questions are: (1) Has deep‐sea biodiversity been lower during glacials than during interglacials? ( 2) Was there any faunal shift at the Mid‐Brunhes Event (MBE) when the mode of glacial–interglacial climatic change was altered? Location Norwegian Sea, deep sea (1819–2800 m), coring sites MD992277, PS1243, and M23352. Time period 620.7–1.4 ka (Middle Pleistocene–Late Holocene). Taxa studied Ostracoda (Crustacea). Methods We empirically test the deep‐sea glacial disturbance hypothesis by investigating whether diversity in glacial periods is consistently lower than diversity in interglacial periods. Additionally, we apply comparative analyses to determine a potential faunal shift at the MBE, a Pleistocene event describing a fundamental shift in global climate. Results The deep Norwegian Sea diversity was not lower during glacial periods compared to interglacial periods. Holocene diversity was exceedingly lower than that of the last glacial period. Faunal composition changed substantially between pre‐ and post‐MBE. Main conclusions These results reject the glacial disturbance hypothesis, since the low glacial diversity is the important precondition here. The present‐day‐style deep Norwegian Sea ecosystem was established by the MBE, more specifically by MBE‐induced changes in global climate, which has led to more dynamic post‐MBE conditions. In a broader context, this implies that the MBE has played an important role in the establishment of the modern polar deep‐sea ecosystem and biodiversity in general.

Description: Microfaunal assemblages of benthic foraminifera, ostracods, and tintinnids from two marine sediment cores retrieved from the Herschel Basin of the Canadian Beaufort Sea shelf document relationships with environmental parameters such as salinity, sea-ice cover, and turbulence. Cores YC18-HB-GC01 and PG2303-1 were collected at 18 and 32 m water depth, respectively. At these sites, sediment accumulation rates range between 0.6 and 1.7 cm yr–1 allowing a near-annual temporal resolution over the last 50 years. Multivariate analyses indicate that benthic foraminiferal assemblages respond primarily to food supply. Dissimilarities between the microfaunal assemblages of the two cores are mainly the result of bottom water salinity levels linked to water depth. High abundance of the benthic foraminiferal species Elphidium clavatum and occurrences of Elphidium bartletti point to varying, but relatively low, salinities at the shallow core site YC18-HB-GC01, which may be affected by variations in the summer halocline depth. Higher species diversity and more abundant Cassidulina reniforme and Stainforthia feylingi characterize the deeper core PG2303-1, which might reflect more stable conditions and higher bottom-water salinities throughout the studied time interval. The most important microfaunal shift of the last 50 years, observed in the shallower longer core YC18-HB-GC01, occurred at the turn of the 21st century. Prior to ∼2000 CE, the presence of Islandiella norcrossi indicates more stable and saline conditions. Since ∼2000 CE, increased abundances of Haynesina nivea and of the ciliate Tintinnopsis fimbriata suggest decreased salinity and increased turbidity. An increased abundance of Eoeponidella pulchella after ∼2000 CE suggests a concurrent increase in productivity in the last two decades. This shift is nearly synchronous with a decrease in mean summer sea-ice concentration, which can play an important role in bottom water stability on the shelf. Easterly winds can induce a reduction in the sea-ice cover, but also foster a westward spreading of the Mackenzie River plume and the upwelling of nutrient-rich Pacific waters onto the shelf. Both factors would explain the increased freshening and productivity of the Herschel Basin. The last two decades were also marked by a decrease in ostracod abundance that may relate to higher water turbidity. This study shows that combining information from benthic foraminifera, ostracods, and tintinnids provides a comprehensive insight into recent hydrographic/climatic changes in nearshore Arctic habitats, where productivity is critical for the food security of local communities.

Description: 〈jats:title〉Abstract〈/jats:title〉〈jats:sec〉〈jats:title〉Aim〈/jats:title〉〈jats:p〉Within the intensively‐studied, well‐documented latitudinal diversity gradient, the deep‐sea biodiversity of the present‐day Norwegian Sea stands out with its notably low diversity, constituting a steep latitudinal diversity gradient in the North Atlantic. The reason behind this has long been a topic of debate and speculation. Most prominently, it is explained by the deep‐sea glacial disturbance hypothesis, which states that harsh environmental glacial conditions negatively impacted Norwegian Sea diversities, which have not yet fully recovered. Our aim is to empirically test this hypothesis. Specific research questions are: (1) Has deep‐sea biodiversity been lower during glacials than during interglacials? 〈jats:italic〉(〈/jats:italic〉2) Was there any faunal shift at the Mid‐Brunhes Event (MBE) when the mode of glacial–interglacial climatic change was altered?〈/jats:p〉〈/jats:sec〉〈jats:sec〉〈jats:title〉Location〈/jats:title〉〈jats:p〉Norwegian Sea, deep sea (1819–2800 m), coring sites MD992277, PS1243, and M23352.〈/jats:p〉〈/jats:sec〉〈jats:sec〉〈jats:title〉Time period〈/jats:title〉〈jats:p〉620.7–1.4 ka (Middle Pleistocene–Late Holocene).〈/jats:p〉〈/jats:sec〉〈jats:sec〉〈jats:title〉Taxa studied〈/jats:title〉〈jats:p〉Ostracoda (Crustacea).〈/jats:p〉〈/jats:sec〉〈jats:sec〉〈jats:title〉Methods〈/jats:title〉〈jats:p〉We empirically test the deep‐sea glacial disturbance hypothesis by investigating whether diversity in glacial periods is consistently lower than diversity in interglacial periods. Additionally, we apply comparative analyses to determine a potential faunal shift at the MBE, a Pleistocene event describing a fundamental shift in global climate.〈/jats:p〉〈/jats:sec〉〈jats:sec〉〈jats:title〉Results〈/jats:title〉〈jats:p〉The deep Norwegian Sea diversity was not lower during glacial periods compared to interglacial periods. Holocene diversity was exceedingly lower than that of the last glacial period. Faunal composition changed substantially between pre‐ and post‐MBE.〈/jats:p〉〈/jats:sec〉〈jats:sec〉〈jats:title〉Main conclusions〈/jats:title〉〈jats:p〉These results reject the glacial disturbance hypothesis, since the low glacial diversity is the important precondition here. The present‐day‐style deep Norwegian Sea ecosystem was established by the MBE, more specifically by MBE‐induced changes in global climate, which has led to more dynamic post‐MBE conditions. In a broader context, this implies that the MBE has played an important role in the establishment of the modern polar deep‐sea ecosystem and biodiversity in general.〈/jats:p〉〈/jats:sec〉