Distribution of modern salt-marsh foraminifera in the Albemarle-Pamlico estuarine system of North Carolina, USA: Implications for sea-level research

Andrew C. Kemp, Benjamin P. Horton, Stephen J. Culver

Research output: Journal Publications and ReviewsRGC 21 - Publication in refereed journalpeer-review

75 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

We described the distributions of foraminifera from ten physiographically distinct salt marshes in the Albemarle-Pamlico estuarine system, North Carolina using 193 surface samples. We defined elevation-dependent ecological zones at individual sites using cluster analysis and detrended correspondence analysis. Additionally, seven principal biozones of salt-marsh foraminifera were identified that have distinctive spatial distributions reflecting a pattern of salinity regimes caused by the current configuration of barrier-island inlets. High salinity sites along the southern Outer Banks are associated with sub-tidal calcareous assemblages, low marshes dominated by Miliammina fusca and high marsh environments defined by Haplophragmoides wilberti, Trochammina inflata and Arenoparrella mexicana. In contrast, lower salinity marshes have Ammobaculites spp. in sub-tidal settings, Miliammina fusca-dominated low marshes and high marsh settings characterized by Jadammina macrescens. Spatial variation of foraminiferal populations and the potential for biozones to migrate in response to changing inlet configuration and salinity, suggests that datasets of modern salt-marsh foraminifera from multiple environments would be appropriate for reconstructing Holocene relative sea level in North Carolina. © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)222-238
JournalMarine Micropaleontology
Volume72
Issue number3-4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Sept 2009
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

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Funding

This research is part of the NOAA Coastal Ocean Program grant and the North Carolina Coastal Geology Cooperative Program (NCCGC). We thank the USGS cooperative agreement award 02ERAG0044 and the National Science Foundation award EAR-0717364. This paper is a contribution to IGCP Project 495, “Quaternary Land-Ocean interactions: Driving Mechanisms and Coastal Responses”. ACK acknowledges the 2007 Garry Jones Memorial Award (North American Micropaleontology section, SEPM), a University of Pennsylvania summer stipend in Paleontology and a GSA graduate student research grant. Andrea Hawkes, Simon Englehart, Matthew Wright, Candace Grand-Pre and D. Reide Corbett are thanked for their assistance in the field. The US Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service and several private landowners are acknowledged for granting permission to access the salt marshes used in this study. We thank Katie Szkornik and two anonymous reviewers for their insightful comments on this manuscript.

Research Keywords

  • Foraminifera
  • North Carolina
  • Salt marsh
  • Sea level

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