Description: To extend information about dinoflagellate cysts (dinocysts) and planktonic foraminifera production, succession, excystment and transport in the upper water column, we investigated their fluxes during a 7-day survey in the active upwelling off Cape Blanc (NW Africa) in November 2018 with drifting traps at 100 m, 200 m, and 400 m water depth. The 7-day survey covered a successive change from active upwelling toward stratified conditions. Highest production of organic dinocysts and planktonic foraminifera were observed under active upwelling conditions and decreased drastically towards the end of the survey. Calcareous dinocysts appeared later during upwelling relaxation. Collected cytoplasm bearing (full) dinocysts and foraminifera were produced in the water column above the traps (〈100 m depth). Part of the organic-walled empty dinocysts were resuspended implying that sediments below the survey site are likely to contain both local and allochthonous cyst assemblages. We are the first to show that excystment in the upper water column is species-specific. Brigantedinium excysted in the upper water column before reaching deeper depths whereas no upper water column excystment was observed for the other dinoflagellate species. Dinoflagellate and planktonic foraminifera associations showed a clear succession. Echinidinium zonneveldiae, Brigantedinium spp., other peridinioids, Echinidinium spp., cysts of Pentapharsodinium dalei and other photosynthetic organic-walled dinocysts” as well as Neogloboquadrina incompta and Globigerinella calida were collected during active upwelling. Lingulodinium machaerophorum was produced during upwelling relaxation and Gymnodiniaceae cysts (G. microreticulatum, G. catenatum) as well as the foraminifera Globigerina bulloides and Orbulina universa were collected during stratified conditions. Apart from enhancing the biological knowledge of these species, our observations will allow more detailed reconstructions of upwelling history in the Cape Blanc region based on sedimentary archives using fossilised dinoflagellate and planktonic foraminifera assemblages.

Description: To extend the understanding of dinoflagellate cysts production, excystment and vertical/ lateral transport in the water column, upper water dinoflagellate cyst export production have been compared with cysts associations and concentrations in the subsurface nepheloid layer, bottom nepheloid layer and deeper water column during active upwelling off Cape Blanc (NW Africa) in August 2020. Export production was collected by two drifting trap surveys; one in an active upwelling cell for 4 days and the other in an offshore drifting upwelling filament for 2 days. Subsurface and bottom nepheloid layers as well as the deeper waters were sampled by in-situ pumps along two transects perpendicular to the shelf break. The dataset represents the count data on species level of organic-walled dinoflagellate cysts in drifting trap and in-situ pump collected samples as well as information about the sampling time, sampling volume and collection surface.

Description: We report on the succession of selective degradation of dinoflagellate cyst species that can be considered representative for discrete particulate organic matter (POM) classes of different degradability. The effects of anaerobic and aerobic degradation as well as bioturbation in a natural setting are documented in high resolution by means of palynological and geochemical analyses on Madeira Abyssal Plain A- and F-turbidites. These turbidites are unique as their initial ungraded sediments are affected by a downward penetrating oxydation front. The dataset covers the density, porosity, water content and dinoflagellate cysts content of sediments from the so called A- and F-turbidite.

Description: Long 1, midchain alkane-diols have been analyzed from sediment trap CBeu (off Mauritania) samples collected from 2003-2008 (CBeu1-5). The changes in diol composition and diol indices have been compared with changes in environmental parameters. New and hardly available data are deposited here. These include the diol flux data, the corrected UK'37 record, the relative abundances of upwelling indicating species and the 11 years moving average of wind speed and direction from Nouadhibou Airport. Data that are readily available from the World Ocean Atlas 2018, NOAA and earlier publications on CBeu have not been deposited here. These include solar insolation, sea surface temperatures, as well as water temperature, salinity and phosphate for different water depths.

Description: micro-FTIR (miccro-Fourier-Transformed-Infra-Red) spectra of dinoflagellate cysts resistant representing degradation resistant particulate organic matter derived from aerobic and anaerobic depositional environments.

Description: Dinoflagellate cysts have been determined in sediments of core DP30PC on a resolution of 1 sample per 2.5 mm core depth (representing approximately 3 year) and 119.65 - 180.4 cm core depth. These data form the basis of high temporal resolution temperature and precipitation reconstructions for Roman times between about 200 BCE and 600 CE (ca. 205 BCE - 605 CE).

Description: Concentrations of volcanic glass shards of the sediment size fraction between 45 - 100 micrometer of sediments of core DP30PC (southeastern Gulf of Taranto) have been determined by polar light microscopy. Based on these results the positions of cryptotephras can be determined. This forms the basis for the establishment of the tephra-chronologic age model of core DP30PC that is based on the elemental analysis of selected shards from these crypto-tephra.