Université de Fribourg

Cold-water coral mound archive provides unique insights into intermediate water mass dynamics in the alboran sea during the last deglaciation

Fentimen, Robin ; Feenstra, Eline ; Rüggeberg, Andres ; Vennemann, Torsten ; Hajdas, Irka ; Adatte, Thierry ; Van Rooij, David ; Foubert, Anneleen

In: Frontiers in Marine Science, 2020, vol. 7, p. -

The Alboran Sea is widely recognized to host numerous cold-water coral ecosystems, including the East Melilla Coral Province. Yet, their development through time and response to climatic variability has still to be fully understood. Based on a combined investigation of benthic foraminiferal assemblages, foraminiferal stable isotope compositions, grain size analysis, sediment geochemistry, and...

Université de Fribourg

Impact of bottom water currents on benthic foraminiferal assemblages in a cold-water coral environment: The Moira Mounds (NE Atlantic)

Fentimen, Robin ; Lim, Aaron ; Rüggeberg, Andres ; Wheeler, Andrew J. ; Rooij, David Van ; Foubert, Anneleen

In: Marine Micropaleontology, 2020, vol. 154, p. 101799

Strong bottom currents play a key role in cold-water coral environments by shaping their morphology and providing the necessary food for the corals to thrive. This study investigates the differences between living and dead benthic foraminiferal assemblages in such environments, more precisely on the Moira Mounds (NE Atlantic). A specific focus is to understand the role of currents and their...

Université de Fribourg

The genus Amphistegina (benthic foraminifera): distribution along the southern Tunisian coast

Kateb, Akram El ; Stalder, Claudio ; Stainbank, Stephanie ; Fentimen, Robin ; Spezzaferri, Silvia

In: BioInvasions Records, 2018, vol. 7, no. 4, p. 391–398

The benthic foraminiferal genus Amphistegina is currently expanding its range in the Mediterranean Sea after being introduced through the Suez Canal from the Red Sea. Over the previous decade, Amphistegina spp. has colonized the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea including the Egyptian and Libyan coasts, but the present southern limit in the Mediterranean Sea is along the southern Tunisian...

Université de Fribourg

Distribution of benthic foraminiferal assemblages in the transitional environment of the Djerba lagoon (Tunisia)

Kateb, Akram El ; Stalder, Claudio ; Neururer, Christoph ; Fentimen, Robin ; Spangenberg, Jorge E. ; Spezzaferri, Silvia

In: Swiss Journal of Geosciences, 2018, vol. 111, no. 3, p. 589–606

The eastern edge of the Djerba Island represents an important tourist pole. However, studies describing the environmental processes affecting this Island are scarce. Although never studied before, the peculiar Djerba lagoon is well known by the local population and by tourists. In July 2014, surface sediment and seawater samples were collected in this lagoon to measure grain size, organic...

Université de Fribourg

Benthic foraminifera in a deep-sea high-energy environment: the Moira Mounds (Porcupine Seabight, SW of Ireland)

Fentimen, Robin ; Rüggeberg, Andres ; Lim, Aaron ; El Kateb, Akram ; Foubert, Anneleen ; Wheeler, Andrew J. ; Spezzaferri, Silvia

In: Swiss Journal of Geosciences, 2018, vol. 111, no. 3, p. 561–572

Cold-water coral ecosystems represent unique and exceptionally diverse environments in the deep-sea. They are well developed along the Irish margin, varying broadly in shape and size. The Moira Mounds, numerous small-sized mounds, are nestled in the Belgica Mound Province (Porcupine Seabight, North-East Atlantic). The investigation of living (Rose Bengal stained) and dead benthic...