Integrated Studies of Taxonomy, Ecology and Geochemistry The Micropalaeontological Society's Foraminifera and Nannofossil Groups Joint Spring Meeting Thursday 7th - Friday 8th June, 2007. Angers, France. Hosted by The Laboratory of Recent and Fossil Bio-Indicators (BIAF/Angers) The conference was followed by a 1-day field trip in the Anjou Basin (9th June 2007). Report Small meetings of like-minded researchers are often much more productive than large expensive conferences covering a superficially impressive range of topics in multiple parallel sessions. The foram-nanno group meetings seem to fit this model well, there is enough diversity for it to be a real learning experience but enough similarity for us to have real interest in all the science presented. The fourth joint foram-nanno group meeting was held in Angers and judging by the turnout, the quality of presentations, the level of animated discussion, and the affecting speeches on every available opportunity, was a great success. In total 80 researchers attended with a nice spread from enthusiastic PhD students to established academics, via all intermediate steps with a common interest in exchanging ideas and experiences. Participants came from twelve European countries ranging from Russia to Ireland and from the Netherlands to Spain. Thee was also a scatterring of participants from further afierld, including a several from Japan. As expected, the home country had the strongest delegation with 23 participants, but there was also an impressive level of participation from Germany including teams from Bremen, Kiel and Tübingen. The meeting was hosted by the Angers University  Laboratoire des Bio-Indicateurs Actuals et Fossiles (BIAF) lead by Frans Jorissen, the largest research group in Europe working on benthic foraminiferal ecology and palaeoecology - they have a team of seven researchers, three technicians, two post-docs, and seven PhD students and a wide range of facilities including culture laboratories and even an offshore research station, on the Ile d’Yeu. They have been enthusiastic to host a TMS meeting for several years and delivered splendidly. The team, notably Christophe Fontanier, Helene Howa, and Emmanuelle Geslin had gone to great efforts to prepare for the meeting, including temporarily converting an examination hall into a combined poster room and dining area. This worked really well, with tea and lunch breaks passing seamlessly into extended discussion sessions around the numerous high-quality posters. The lecture theatre was just upstairs, an internet room nearby and nice lawns outside for a bit of relaxation. So we were able to spend the days very efficiently. And as might be expected in France the food was excellent, both the lunches and the conference dinner in a splendid hotel in the centre of Angers. Presentations by the Angers group were complimented by those of their colleagues from across Europe and their Japanese counter-parts Hiroshi Katazato’s team from JAMSTEC, Tokyo, four of whom attended. So an impressive range of benthic foram research was presented with, as promised from the conference theme a wide range of methodologies being applied. The questions addressed ranged from paleoceanography to biology but a noteworthy trend was an increased number of environmental monitoring studies, from tidal flats to the drill cutting dump sites on shelf seas. Environmental micropalaeontology is emerging as an important field and it is good to see the TMS is providing a valuable forum for such studies. A few, rather randomly selected, highlights of the benthic foraminiferal presentations  include: presentations by Hidetako Nomaki (JAMSTEC) on the role of foraminifera in the benthic food web; by Ann Holbourn (Kiel) on Cenozoic palaeoceanography; by Vincent Bouchet (Angers) on the application of tomography to characterise burrow systems in a core then dissected it to study the distribution of foraminifera in it; and by Jaroslaw Tyska (Krakow) who demonstrated an interesting new 3D version of the classic Berger model of foraminiferal growth and used it discuss alternative theories of foraminiferal macroevolution. Plankton studies were also well-represented with about equal numbers of presentations of nannofossils and planktonic forams. The need for real rigour in methodologies was highlighted by Rob Speijer with a coruscating review of the frequent abuses of the P:B ratio palaeodepth proxy. Fortunately this was balanced by a series of talks on improved methodologies including Anton Eisenhauer (Kiel) on paired ∂40/44 Ca and Mg/Ca ratios, with interesting implications for understanding biomineralisation. Sebastian Meier and Martine Couapel from CEREGE (Aix) explained how the SYRACO automated identification system is changing the boundaries of what is possible in study of modern and Holocene assemblages, and Mariem Saavedra-Pellitero (Salamanca) described work to develop a  temperature transfer function for coccolith assemblages based on modern taxonomy. Deeper in geological time the work set in train by Paul Pearson on exceptionally preserved shelf records of plankton continues to produce fine results as highlighted by Tom Dunkley-Jones (UCL) working on coccoliths from Tanzania and Cat Burgess (Cardiff) using a wide range of proxies on the Eocene Hampden Formation in New Zealand. Finally, we should outline the single study which best encapsulated the integrated studies theme of the meeting. Streptochilus is a small biserial planktonic foraminifera which looks suspiciously similar to the benthic forminifer Bolivina Kate Darling (Edinburgh) Ellen Thomas (Yale) and co-workers have applied an elegant combination of morphological observations, molecular genetics and micro-probe analysis of shell-chemistry changes through ontogeny to show that live specimens collected from the plankton in the middle of the Arabian Sea almost certainly started their life in the benthos of the East African shelf, where they would have been identified as Bolivina variabilis. After the two days of micropalaeontological presentations most of us rounded the conference off by joining the one day field trip. Angers is, as we rapidly learnt from the irrepressibly enthusiastic Fabrice Redois, situated in an interesting location on the SE margin of the Armorican Massif. The immediate geology is thus Palaeozoic including the Schiste d’Anjou much used for local building stones and roofing slate. However, a half hour drive took us to the edge of the Paris Basin and an area of diverse marginal facies Jurassic, Cretaceous and Neogene. We spent the morning recuperating from hangovers on fossiliferous shallow marine Bathonian and Callovian sediments and scrabbling in a roadbank to collect some nice euro-sized Cenomanian Orbitolinids. We then had lunch in “Chez Paul”, which was supposed to be a trucker’s cafe, but produced a buffet which would have put many restaurants to shame. We then visited a couple more nice Mesozoic localities before rolling up to the grand finale of the trip the Faluns d’Anjou Formation in Doué-la-Fontaine. The formation is a 20m thick Miocene bryozoan limestone with massive foreset bedding, and at the base a shelly gravel with a diverse vertebrate fauna. In fact, it is strikingly similar to the English Coralline Crag, but much better exposed, with massive neatly cut quarry faces allowing the sedimentology and fauna to be examined in intimate detail (photo). The outdoor outcrops were impressive but remarkably the rock was not been quarried conventionally but rather mined from narrow surface trenches to produce a network of 500 artificial caves, like giant cellars, underlying the village.  We were taken on a special tour through a cathedral-like of sequence of 50 of them, before re-emerging into the daylight to examine various alternative applications of opened caves. Then, since this was France and Fabrice was determined to continue our education we finished up with a  tasting of Anjou wines in an open-topped cave as generously supplied by  local producer. We were sufficiently impressed to buy the entire stock the producer had brought with him, so after that everyone went home happily. Daniela Schmidt, Joachim Schoenfeld, Jeremy Young   Programme (abstracts - pdf 832 kb) Thursday 8:00-8:30 Registration, Poster + Power Point setup 8:30:8:45 Opening remarks, Host and TMS 8:45-9:05 Helge Meggers Bremen Response of Globigerina bulloides test size to the 20th century increase in coastal upwelling off NW Africa 9:05-9:25 Sabastian Meier Aix-en-Provence Coccolithophore morphometry and calcification during the sapropel S1 time interval in the Mediterranean Sea 9:25-9:45 Frédérique Eynaud Bordeaux Central Arctic Ocean planktonic foraminifera: the Late Pleistocene record from the IODP ACEX Site 9:45-10:05 Gretta Bartoli Zurich Six degrees centigrade cooling of the East Greenland Current at 3.13 Ma: Evidence from foraminifers 10:05-10:25 Ann Holbourn Kiel Middle Miocene to Late Pleistocene climate variability in the Indo-Pacific region: 10:30-11:00   Coffee 11:00-11:20 Cat Burgess Cardiff Milankovitch Scale Cyclicity in the Eocene Southern Ocean - An integrated micropalaeontological and geochemical approach 11:20-11:40 Tom Dunkley-Jones UCL Rapid low latitude paleoceanographic change coupled to high latitude glaciation through the Eocene-Oligocene boundary 11:40-12:00 Delphine Desmares Orsay Test microevolution in planktonic foraminifera in response to environmental changes during the Cenomanian-Turonian interval 12:00-12:20 Petros Hardas Bochum Calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphy and palaeoecology of the Cenomanian-Turonian succession of ODP Leg 207 (Demerara Rise) 12:20-12:40 Clémence, M. Paris The water column dynamic in response to the environmental perturbations at the T/J boundary: data from Austria and England 12:40-13:45 Lunch on Site 13:45-16:00 Poster session incl tea break 16:00-16:20 Anton Eisenhauer Kiel Paired δ44/40Ca and Mg/Ca temperature estimates of N. pachyderma (sin.) in the Nordic Seas 16:20-16:40 Karin Zonneveld Bremen Stable oxygen isotopes of Thoracosphaera heimii (Dinophyceae) in relationship to temperature; a culture experiment 16:40-17:00 Gavin Foster Bristol Foraminiferal geochemical and isotopic proxies of the ocean carbonate system 17:00-17:20 Caro Leiter Munich Is the benthic Foraminifer Virgulinella fragilis a proxy for oxygen depletion? 17:20-17:40 Nomaki, H. JAMSTEC Trophic relationships between phytodetritus, benthic foraminifera, and metazoans: carbon and nitrogen isotopic evidence 20:30 Dinner in town Friday  8:00-8:30 Poster + PP setup 8:30-8:50 Barras, C. Angers Protocols to obtain reproduction and growth of Bulimina marginata  under stable and controlled physico-chemical conditions 8:50-9:10 Hiroshi Kitazato Jamstec Behavior of bathyal benthic foraminifera at sediment-water interface: Long-term in situ observations with planar oxygen optode at Sagami Bay, Japan 9:10-9:30 Toyofuku, T. JAMSTEC Advanced laboratory observations of calcium activity in living foraminifera with the fluorescent Ca indicator Fluo-3 AM. 9:30-9:50 Bouchet Ifremer Foraminiferal vertical distribution related to macrofaunal sediment bioturbating modes: new insight from axial tomodensitometry 9:50-10:10 Tyszka, J. Kraków Evolutionary insight into theoretical and functional morphology of foraminifera 10:10-10:40 Coffee 10:40-11:00 Magali Schweizer Zurich Phylogeography of some selected rotaliids (benthic foraminifera) 1:00-11:20 Sandra Scherrer Zurich Molecular analysis of coccolithophores from plankton filter samples 11:20-11:40 Couapel, M. Aix-en-Provence Spatial distribution of coccolith in a transect from an extremely oligotrophic gyre to an intense upwelling in subtropical South Pacific 11:40-12:00 Speijer, R. Leuven; Opportunities and pitfalls of the use of foraminiferal planktic/benthic ratios in paleodepth reconstructions 12:00-12:20 Marina Triantaphyllou Athens Coccolithophore and planktonic foraminifera export production and seasonality in nearshore sediment traps south of Crete (Eastern Mediterranean) 12:20-13:30 Lunch on Site 13:30-15:30 Poster session incl tea break 15:30-15:50 Martin Langer Bonn Biogeographic patterns and hotspots of diversity in larger foraminifera through time 15:50-16:10 Heinz, P. Tuebingen Benthic foraminiferal assemblages at the continental margin off Costa Rica and Nicaragua 16:10-16:30 Koho, K. Utrecht Benthic foraminifera in the Nazaré canyon, Portuguese continental margin: influence of sedimentary disturbance on fauna 16:30-16:50 Mojtahid, M. Angers Spatial distribution of benthic foraminifera in the Rhône prodelta: faunal response to organic matter focussing 16:50-17:10 Polovodova, I. St. Petersburg Recent benthic foraminifera in moderate polluted environment: a case study from Kiel Fjord 17:10-18:45 Ice melting drink 20:030 Dinner in town Posters Thursday poster session Al-Dhubaib. A. Foraminiferal associations and sedimentology of Saudi Middle Jurassic carbonates Barras, C. Spatial variability of living (stained) deep-sea benthic foraminifera: comparison between in situ and long-term incubated cores Boeckel, B. What do coccolith and alkenone variations off NW Africa tell us at Termination I? Darling, K. An investigation into the life history of Streptochilus Ernst, S. Foraminiferal organic linings: Molecular and isotopic composition Fontanier, C. Live (stained) Foraminifera from the Gulf of Lions (NW Mediterranean Sea): density, diversity, microhabitat and environmental settings. Geslin, E. Laboratory study of benthic foraminiferal responses to oxygenation conditions and food supply Griveaud, C. Stable isotopic composition of deep-sea benthic foraminifera from the North-East Atlantic Ocean Holcová, K. Foraminifera, calcareous nannoplankton and stable isotope (d18O, d13C) of the Bryozoan event in the Middle Miocene of the Central Paratethys Leorri, E. Foraminiferal and geochemical response to a salinity gradient along a subtidal transect on the Aurray estuary (Brittany, France). Loncaric, N. Planktic foraminiferal content in a mature Agulhas eddy from the SE Atlantic: Any influence on foraminiferal export fluxes? Mejía-Molina, A. Coccolithophore assemblages of the Lower Oligocene to Middle Miocene Arroyo Alférez section in northern Colombia Mojtahid, M. Towards an operational use of benthic foraminifera for organic pollution monitoring in open and enclosed marine environments Nguyen, T. Experimental dissolution studies on late Mesozoic and Cenozoic foraminiferal assemblages Numberger, L. Morphotypes of Globigerinoides ruber (white) in the eastern Mediterranean Sea Owen, N. Deposits of thermohaline currents on slopes west of Ireland - a micropalaeontological study Retailleau S. Distribution of live planktonic foraminifera in the Bay of Biscay during the warm summer of 2006 Sabbatini, A. Benthic foraminiferal fauna as e utrophication markers in historical time of Adriatic sea Schmidt, D. Growth of foraminifers - from carbonate production to proxy incorporation Schumacher, S. Live benthic foraminiferal communities from the oxygen minimum zone of the Pakistan continental margin Speijer, R. High-resolution and 3-D imaging of foraminifera with X-ray micro-CT Steinke, S. Proxy dependence of the timing and pattern of deglacial warming in the tropical South China Sea Thibault, N. The calcareous nannofossil’s signature of climate change in the Maastrichtian Tsuchiya, M. Ecological and biological perspectives on a molecular phylogenetic lineage of Planoglabratella opercularis (d'Orbigny) Vénec-Peyré, M. Isotopic gradients at the exit of the Indonesian Archipelago : influence of Indonesian and Australian monsoons Weller, A. Foram picker: towards automated classification and picking of foraminifera Friday poster session  Aurahs, R. Genetic types of Globigerinoides ruber in the Eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea Baumann, K.-H. Variations in upper water-column dynamics in the North Atlantic during the last 20,000 years as revealed by coccolithophorid assemblages Couapel, M. Spatial distribution of coccolith in a transect from an extremely oligotrophic gyre to an intense upwelling in subtropical South Pacific Duchemin, G. Seasonality of living benthic foraminifera from the continental shelf of the Bay of Biscay: comparison with phytoplankton blooms Eynaud, F. Central Arctic Ocean planktonic foraminifera: the Late Pleistocene record from the IODP ACEX Site Fontanier, C. Live and dead foraminiferal faunas from the Saint-Tropez Canyon (Bay of Fréjus): "In situ" and "culture" observations Giunta, S. Holocene biostratigraphy and paleoenvironmental changes in the Black Sea based on calcareous nannoplankton Herrmann, S. Macroecological significance of coccolith size Howa, H. French national project FORCLIM : development of a proxy for the  paleohydrology in the North Atlantic Lombard F. Multispecies modeling approach to predict foraminiferan growth, ecological niches and shell export to the sea floor Meier, K. Coccolithophore morphometry and calcification during the sapropel S1 time interval in the Mediterranean Sea Minoletti, F. A new separation protocol to investigate the geochemistry of calcareous nannoflora. Application to Meso- Cenozoic pelagic deposits. Mourik, A. Reconstructing middle Miocene Mediterranean paleocirculation using benthic foraminifera Nikulina, A. Living benthic foraminifera distribution in the Flensburg Fjord, (western Baltic Sea) Ott, C. SST evolution off NW-Africa during the past 55 kyrs: A multi-proxy approach Peryt, D. Foraminifers and ostracods from the Campanian of the Jezówka quarry, the Miechów Trough, southern Poland: paleoecological implications Saavedra-Pellitero, M. Biogeography of coccolithophores in the Equatorial and Southearstern Pacific and establishment of a data-base to develop a MAT. Schiebel, R. Planktic foraminiferal ecology of the Arabian Sea Schönfeld, J. Benthic foraminifera from mud volcanoes in the Gulf of Cadiz: food and oxygen decoupled? Siccha, M. Factors controlling the distribution of planktonic foraminifera in Red Sea sediments Sprong, J. Gebel Qreiya (Nile Valley, Egypt) in the Middle Paleocene: a micropaleontological and sedimentological reconstruction Stolz, K. The Last Glacial in the North Atlantic - A High-Resolution Reconstruction using Coccoliths Toyofuku, T. Advanced laboratory observations of calcium activity in living foraminifera with the fluorescent Ca indicator Fluo-3 AM. Ufkes, E. Changes in SE Atlantic watermass distribution as reflected by deep-dwelling globorotalids during the Mid-Late Pleistocene Violanti, D. Murrayinella murrayi (Heron-Allen & Earland) and Schackoinella globosa (Millett): morphology, taxonomy and inferred ecology   (abstracts - pdf 832 kb) The meeting will be followed by an excursion to the ambient Loire Valley on Saturday, 9th June, 2007. The field trip will be lead by Fabrice Redois and Jean-Pierre André, Université d'Angers, and focus on the Miocene faluns, and Jurassic and Cretaceous outcrops from the Paris Basin. The excursion will end with a visit of one of the famous Anjou wine estates. Joachim Schoenfeld, Jeremy Young, Daniela Schmidt, and Jens Herrle. (Chairmen & Secretaries, TMS Form. Group, TMS Nanno. Group) Christophe Fontanier, Emmanuelle Geslin, and Frans Jorissen. (organizing committee at Angers)