Parmales in sediments of Prydz Bay, East Antarctica: a new biofacies and paleoenvironmental indicator of cold water deposition?

Siliceous wall plates of two species of Parmales are present in varying abundance in the surficial and downcore sediments of Prydz Bay. These organisms have a dramatically higher abundance and greater species diversity in polar and sub-polarenvironments than is seen in temperate and tropical waters. Based on the finding of abundant and well-preserved walls of these organisms in Antarctic sediments, it is suggest that they represent a useful biofacies and paleoenvironmental marker for deposition from cold water, and a potentially new biostratigraphic tool. -Authors