Coastal primary productivity changes over the last millennium: a case study from the Skagerrak (North Sea)

Abstract

Abstract.A comprehensive multi-proxy study on two sediment cores from western and central Skagerrak was performed in order to detect the variability and causes of marine primary productivity changes in the investigated region over the last 1100 years. The cores were dated by Hg pollution records and AMS 14 C dating and analysed for palaeoproductivity proxies such as total organic carbon, δ 13 C, total planktonic foraminifera, benthic foraminifera (total as well as abundance of Brizalina skagerrakensis and other palaeoproductivity taxa) and palaeothermometers such as Mg/Ca and δ 18 O. Our results reveal three 5