Productivity controlled cold-water coral growth periods during the last glacial off Mauritania

Environmental forcing of the Campeche cold-water coral province, southern Gulf of Mexico

“…The observed diel vertical migration of zooplankton possibly reaching the intermediate depth of the CWC ecosystem may even serve as a supplemental food source as already indicated by Mienis et al (2012). These observations fits several paleoenvironmental studies, highlighting the controlling role of the food supply on the long-term development of such ecosystems (Dorschel et al, 2005;Wienberg et al, 2010;Eisele et al, 2011;Fink et al, 2013).…”

“…These structures consist of a mixture of coral skeletons, the skeletal remains of the coral-associated megafaunal community, and pelagic or hemipelagic sediments that can serve as paleoenvironmental archives allowing to reconstruct the long-term development of the CWC ecosystems (e.g., Dorschel et al, 2005;Frank et al, 2009;Titschack et al, 2009;Wienberg et al, 2009;Eisele et al, 2011;Fink et al, 2012;López Correa et al, 2012;Douarin et al, 2013;Thierens et al, 2013).…”

“…Another critical factor controlling its distribution is sufficient food supply that is commonly driven by the interplay of surface water productivity and the local nature of the bottom current regime (e.g., currents, stratification, internal waves and tides) delivering food particles to the CWC White et al, 2005). Paleoenvironmental studies revealed that food supply often is the decisive factor triggering on-or offsets of coral growth in a given setting (e.g., Dorschel et al, 2005;Wienberg et al, 2010;Eisele et al, 2011;Fink et al, 2013).…”

Carbonate mounds: From paradox to World Heritage

“…Further south, an elongated carbonate mound range occurs in Mauritanian waters at depths of 450 to 550 m, over a linear extent of at least 190 km (Colman et al, 2005). Warm and saline Tropical Surface Water (TSW) overlies low salinity South Atlantic Central Water (SACW) down to 600 m, where a sharp halocline marks the boundary with fresher AAIW (Stramma and Schott, 1999;Eisele et al, 2011). The SACW forms an oxygen minimum layer and is the nutrient-rich source of upwelling water in the region (Colman et al, 2005).…”

Cold-water coral carbonate mounds as unique palaeo-archives: the Plio-Pleistocene Challenger Mound record (NE Atlantic)

“…However, also in lower-latitude East Atlantic, as well as West Atlantic areas surface-water processes (and productivity) are found to drive cold-water coral and mound growth (e.g. Wienberg et al, 2010;Eisele et al, 2011;Mienis et al, 2012), stressing the larger-scale importance of this mechanism. Nevertheless, the location of the Challenger Mound on the Irish Atlantic margin had an undeniable impact on its evolution.…”