Dinoflagellates as indicators of changes in marine conditions in northern high latitudes

本提案旨在记录巴芬湾北部（努纳武特）、詹姆斯湾（魁北克）和米拉米奇河河口（新不伦瑞克省）十年时间尺度的气候自然变化。通过使用现代模拟技术的传递函数，将利用保存在海洋沉积物中的鞭毛藻囊和花粉粒组合来重建海洋表面条件（温度、盐度、海冰覆盖和初级生产）的演变。然后将重建结果与有充分记录的近期气候振荡（中世纪暖期、小冰期、北大西洋涛动和大西洋多年代际涛动）、可用的仪器数据以及保存在沉积物中的人为信号（自工业时代开始以来二氧化碳水平的增加、桥梁和水坝的建设、自然资源的开采、气候变化和气候变化）进行比较。所有这些都可能影响沉积物或初级生产条件)。重建的时间分辨率与气候建模者用来建立未来气候变化情景的时间分辨率相似。我们还将记录一些亚北极和北极dinocyst物种的生物亲和性和分子系统发育，这些物种被用来重建古海面条件。新描述物种的生态也将被记录下来，这将有助于解释保存在海洋沉积物岩心中的古环境记录。将记录整个加拿大北极地区和高风险北极港口的鞭毛藻（主要产生毒素的微藻）分布情况。这将有助于监测可能在船舶压载舱中运输的非本地有害/有毒物种的存在。这样的研究也将有助于保护加拿大北极地区的生物多样性。最后，我们还将通过分析含有有毒物种tamarense亚历山Alexandrium的表面沉积物样本，评估圣劳伦斯河口和海湾有害/有毒爆发的风险，该物种在2008年产生了有毒爆发，导致鱼类，鸟类和海洋哺乳动物死亡。沉积物中包囊含量的分析将提供有关圣劳伦斯系统包囊床分布的数据。我们还在寻求资金，以支付在北极采集样本所涉及的高昂费用。浮游生物和地表沉积物样本以及沉积物岩心将在CCGS阿蒙森上收集5年。资金的一部分将用于访问北极社区（克里族在奇萨西比，伊克卢伊特的因纽特人社区，雷索特湾，北极湾和池塘入口），并在未来5年展示我们的成果。这些访问还将有助于使当地北方人参与我们的抽样工作，并提高他们对全球变暖和未来气候变化的认识，这将影响他们的捕鱼和狩猎资源以及他们的环境。

This proposal aims at documenting the natural variability of climate at decennial time scales in northern Baffin Bay (Nunavut), James Bay (Quebec), and the estuary of the Miramichi River (New Brunswick). The evolution of sea surface conditions (temperature, salinity, sea ice cover and primary production) will be reconstructed using dinoflagellate cyst and pollen grain assemblages preserved in marine sediments, through the use of transfer functions using the Modern Analogue Technique. The reconstructions will then be compared with well-documented recent climate oscillations (Medieval Warm Period, Little Ice Age, North Atlantic Oscillation and Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation), with instrumental data, where available, and with the anthropogenic signal preserved in sediments (increase in CO2 level since the beginning of the industrial era, construction of bridges and dams, exploitation of natural resources, all of which may have affected sediment or primary production conditions). The temporal resolution of the reconstructions is similar to that used by climate modelers to establish climate scenarios of future climate change.      We will also document the biological affinities and molecular phylogeny of a number of subarctic and arctic dinocyst species, which are used to reconstruct paleo-sea surface conditions. The ecology of newly described species will also be documented, which will help interpreting the paleoenvironmental records preserved in marine sediment cores. The distribution of dinoflagellates (main toxin-producing microalgae) throughout the Canadian Arctic and in high-risk arctic ports will be documented. This will contribute towards monitoring for the presence of non-indigenous harmful/toxic species that may be transported in ships ballast tanks. Such study will also contribute at preserving the biodiversity of the Canadian Arctic.      Finally, we will also asses the risks of harmful/toxic outbreaks in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence through the analysis of surface sediment samples containing cyst of the toxic species Alexandrium tamarense, that produced a toxic bloom in 2008, which killed fish, birds and marine mammals. The analysis of the cyst content of sediments will provide data on the distribution of cyst beds in the St. Lawrence system.      We are also seeking funds to cover the elevated costs involved with sample collection in the Arctic. Plankton and surface sediments samples, as well as sediment cores, will be collected onboard the CCGS Amundsen over a 5 year period. Part of the funds will serve to visit Arctic communities (Cree Nation in Chisasibi, Inuit communities of Iqaluit, Resolute Bay, Arctic Bay and Pond Inlet) and present our results over the next 5 years. These visits will also contribute at involving local northerners in our sampling effort and to increase their awareness at global warming and future climate change that will affect their fishing + hunting resources, as well as their environment.