Cataloging Microfossils of Yakutat Bay,

Alaska

Alexander D. Ullrich
Dept. of Geology
Appalachian St. University
Boone, NC
Field Setting:
•Yakutat Bay, Alaska
•Hubbard Glacier-
•Tidewater glacier emptying into
Disenchantment Bay, AK.
•High turbidity: high sed. discharge Study Area

•Low salinity
•Summer discharge causes thick http://northlandsvs.com/
mud layers
•Iceberg calving causes winter
diamicton layers
 Catalog of
foraminifera
•Distal Multicore chosen
•High-density, high diversity
•Picked 300 individual population

Multicore 8

Multicorer on R/V Alpha Helix tailfan

 Microfossils:
•Tiny remains of bacteria, fungi,
animals, plants, and protists
•Extremely useful as environmental
indicators
•Foraminifera in particular:
•Species indicate salinity,
high/low energy, bathymetry, DO
http://woodshole.er.usgs.gov/epubs/b
olide/ancient_cataclysm.html
content, temperature
•Seasonal variation

http://ijolite.geology.uiuc.edu/02SprgClass/geo117/Ocea
n%20images/Microfoss.html
Foraminifera:
•Single-celled protists with
shells (tests), called “forams”
or “bugs” (Phylum: Protozoa)
•Consume algae, diatoms,
other protists by extending
protoplasm through aperture
in test (psuedopodia)
•Protoplasm is inside test
chamber (chambers added as http://www.soton.ac.uk/~bam2/col-index/fossi-
foram grows) lindex/Forams/Eelco/med-agean2/pages/pl-02.htm

•Often used in age-dating and Pseudopodia

correlation of rock
•Extant species used to
interpret environments and
climates
Protoplasm
Results: Genera and
Species Classification

Distinguishing features of a
genus:

•Planktic vs. Benthic

Results: Genera and
Species Classification

Distinguishing features of a
genus:

•Planktic vs. Benthic agglutinated

•Agglutinated test vs. secreted test

secreted
Results: Genera and
Species Classification

Distinguishing features of a
genus:
Limbate

•Planktic vs. Benthic

•Agglutinated test vs. secreted test
•Limbate/Costate structures

Costate
Results: Genera and
Species Classification

Distinguishing features of a
species:
•Morphology of Aperture (Echols and Armentrout,
1980)
Results: Genera and
Species Classification

Distinguishing features of a
species:
•Morphology of Aperture
•Coiling of test:
•Planispiral
•Involute
•Trochospiral

http://www.andreaperl.de/14_69_ammonia
html.html
Results: Genera and
Species Classification

Distinguishing features of a
species:
•Morphology of Aperture
•Coiling of test:
•Evolute
•Involute
•Trochospiral
•Streptospiral
•Other morphological features
(costate protrusion, limbate
thickness, papillate presence, etc.)
Plate 1: Abundant Genera

1,2,3. Elphidium sp.A, 1000x

4,8. Buccella sp. A, 1000x

5,6. Epistominella sp. A,

dextral, 1000x

7. Epistominella sp. A,
sinistral, 1000x

9,10. Cassidulina minuta,

1000x

11, 12. Neogloboquadrina

pachyderma, 1200x,
1100x

13, 14. Nonionella stella, 400x

15, 16. Nonionella labridorica,

400x
Plate 2: Limited Genera
1,2. Cribrostomoides sp. A, 1000x

3. Spiroplectammina sp. A,
1300x

4. Lagena sp. A, 500x

5. Triloculina sp. A, 700x

6. Triloculina sp. B, 400x

7. Bulimina sp. A, 400x

8. Bulimina sp. A, 200x

9. Fissurina sp. A, 1000x

10. Fissurina sp. A, 700x

11. Uvigerina sp. A, 250x

12. Fissurina sp. B, 1000x

Plate 3: Forams under a light
microscope

1,2. Nonionella labridorica, 40x

3,4. Nonionella stella, 40x

5,6. Buccella sp. A, 51x

7. Epistominella sp. A, 51x

8. Bulimina sp. A, 51x

9. Cribrostomoides sp. A, 32x

10. Cassidulina limbata, 40x

11. Cassidulina norcrossi, 40x

12. Cassidulina sp. A, 40x

13. Cassidulina minuta, 64x

14. Fissurina sp. A, 51x

Conclusions:
Goals included:
•Gaining experience in SEM
techniques and theory
Conclusions:
Goals included:
•Gaining experience in SEM
techniques and theory
•Foram picking techniques
Conclusions:
Goals included:
•Gaining experience in SEM
techniques and theory
•Foram picking techniques
•Start gathering images of
representative genera for
catalog
Conclusions:
Goals included:
•Gaining experience in SEM
techniques and theory
•Foram picking techniques
•Start gathering images of
representative genera for
catalogue
•All goals were
accomplished during
semester
Conclusions:
Goals included: Questions:
•Gaining experience in SEM •Genera/species change from
techniques and theory distal to proximal?
•Foram picking techniques
•Start gathering images of
representative genera for
catalogue
•All goals were
accomplished during
semester
Conclusions:
Goals included: Questions:
•Gaining experience in SEM •Genera/species change from
techniques and theory distal to proximal?
•Foram picking techniques •Environmental changes shown
by distribution within sediment?
•Start gathering images of
representative genera for
catalogue
•All goals were
accomplished during
semester
Conclusions:
Goals included: Questions:
•Gaining experience in SEM •Genera/species change from
techniques and theory distal to proximal?
•Foram picking techniques •Environmental changes shown
by distribution within sediment?
•Start gathering images of
representative genera for •Seasonal variation?
catalogue
•All goals were
accomplished during
semester
Future Research: Senior Thesis
•Targeting specific foraminifera species as
environmental indicators
•Specifically:
Elphidium excavatum forma clavatum
Elphidium frigidum
 References:
•Lipps, J.H., 1981, What,if anything, is micropaleontology?:
Paleobiology, v. 7, no. 2, pp. 167-191.
•Echols, R.J., and Armentrout, J.M., 1980, Holocene foraminiferal
distribution patterns on the shelf and slope, Yakataga-
Yakutat area northern Gulf of Alaska: Proceedings of the
Quaternary depositional environments of the Pacific Coast
Pacific Coast Paleogeography Symposium, no. 4, pp. 281-
303.
•Bergen, F.W., and O’Neil, P., 1979, Distribution of Holocene
foraminifera in the Gulf of Alaska: Journal of Paleontology,
v. 53, no. 6, p. 1267-1292.
•Quinterno, P., Carlson, P., and Bruce F. Molnia, 1980, Benthic
foraminifers from the eastern Gulf of Alaska: Quaternary
depositional Environments of the Pacific Coast: Pacific
Coast Paleogeographic Symposium 4,
 Special Thanks to:

•Dr. Ruth Dewel, Dept. of Biology, ASU

•Dr. Ellen Cowan, Dept. of Geology, ASU
•Dr. Steven Hageman, Dept. of Geology, ASU
•Dr. Sarah Zellers, Dept. of Geology, MSU
•FEI Systems Technicians
•The 2005 SEM Lab class