Determining the absolute abundance of dinoflagellate cysts in recent marine sediments: The Lycopodium marker-grain method put to the test

K Mertens; null Verhoeven; null Verleye; null Louwye; null Amorim; Sofia Ribeiro; Amr S. Deaf; Ian C. Harding; Stijn De Schepper; Catalina González; Monika Kodrans-Nsiah; Anne De Vernal; Maryse Henry; Taoufik Radi; Karen Dybkjaer; Niels E. Poulsen; Susanne Feist-Burkhardt; Jonah Chitolie; Claus Heilmann-Clausen; Laurent Londeix; Jean-Louis Turon; Fabienne Marret; Jens Matthiessen; Francine M.G. McCarthy; Vandana Prasad; Vera Pospelova; Jane E. Kyffin Hughes; James B. Riding; André Rochon; Francesca Sangiorgi; Natasja Welters; Natalie Sinclair; Christian Thun; Ali Soliman; Nicolas Van Nieuwenhove; Annemiek Vink; Martin Young

doi:10.1016/j.revpalbo.2009.05.004

Determining the absolute abundance of dinoflagellate cysts in recent marine sediments: The Lycopodium marker-grain method put to the test

K Mertens, Verhoeven, Verleye, Louwye, Amorim, Sofia Ribeiro, Amr S. Deaf, Ian C. Harding, Stijn De Schepper, Catalina González, Monika Kodrans-Nsiah, Anne De Vernal, Maryse Henry, Taoufik Radi, Karen Dybkjaer, Niels E. Poulsen, Susanne Feist-Burkhardt, Jonah Chitolie, Claus Heilmann-Clausen, Laurent LondeixJean-Louis Turon, Fabienne Marret, Jens Matthiessen, Francine M.G. McCarthy, Vandana Prasad, Vera Pospelova, Jane E. Kyffin Hughes, James B. Riding, André Rochon, Francesca Sangiorgi, Natasja Welters, Natalie Sinclair, Christian Thun, Ali Soliman, Nicolas Van Nieuwenhove, Annemiek Vink, Martin Young

Freshwater Biology

101 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Absolute abundances (concentrations) of dinoflagellate cysts are often determined through the addition of Lycopodium clavatum marker-grains as a spike to a sample before palynological processing. An inter-laboratory calibration exercise was set up in order to test the comparability of results obtained in different laboratories, each using its own preparation method. Each of the 23 laboratories received the same amount of homogenized splits of four Quaternary sediment samples. The samples originate from different localities and consisted of a variety of lithologies. Dinoflagellate cysts were extracted and counted, and relative and absolute abundances were calculated. The relative abundances proved to be fairly reproducible, notwithstanding a need for taxonomic calibration. By contrast, excessive loss of Lycopodium spores during sample preparation resulted in non-reproducibility of absolute abundances. Use of oxidation, KOH, warm acids, acetolysis, mesh sizes larger than 15 µm and long ultrasonication (> 1 min) must be avoided to determine reproducible absolute abundances. The results of this work therefore indicate that the dinoflagellate cyst worker should make a choice between using the proposed standard method which circumvents critical steps, adding Lycopodium tablets at the end of the preparation and using an alternative method.

Original language	English
Journal	Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology
Volume	157
Issue number	3-4
Pages (from-to)	238-252
ISSN	0034-6667
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.revpalbo.2009.05.004
Publication status	Published - 2009

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1016/j.revpalbo.2009.05.004

Cite this

Mertens, K., Verhoeven, Verleye, Louwye, Amorim, Ribeiro, S., Deaf, A. S., Harding, I. C., Schepper, S. D., González, C., Kodrans-Nsiah, M., Vernal, A. D., Henry, M., Radi, T., Dybkjaer, K., Poulsen, N. E., Feist-Burkhardt, S., Chitolie, J., Heilmann-Clausen, C., ... Young, M. (2009). Determining the absolute abundance of dinoflagellate cysts in recent marine sediments: The Lycopodium marker-grain method put to the test. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 157(3-4), 238-252. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.revpalbo.2009.05.004

Mertens, K, Verhoeven, Verleye, Louwye, Amorim, Ribeiro, S, Deaf, AS, Harding, IC, Schepper, SD, González, C, Kodrans-Nsiah, M, Vernal, AD, Henry, M, Radi, T, Dybkjaer, K, Poulsen, NE, Feist-Burkhardt, S, Chitolie, J, Heilmann-Clausen, C, Londeix, L, Turon, J-L, Marret, F, Matthiessen, J, McCarthy, FMG, Prasad, V, Pospelova, V, Hughes, JEK, Riding, JB, Rochon, A, Sangiorgi, F, Welters, N, Sinclair, N, Thun, C, Soliman, A, Nieuwenhove, NV, Vink, A & Young, M 2009, 'Determining the absolute abundance of dinoflagellate cysts in recent marine sediments: The Lycopodium marker-grain method put to the test', Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, vol. 157, no. 3-4, pp. 238-252. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.revpalbo.2009.05.004

@article{649e1a80b3f711ddb04f000ea68e967b,

title = "Determining the absolute abundance of dinoflagellate cysts in recent marine sediments: The Lycopodium marker-grain method put to the test",

abstract = "Absolute abundances (concentrations) of dinoflagellate cysts are often determined through the addition of Lycopodium clavatum marker-grains as a spike to a sample before palynological processing. An inter-laboratory calibration exercise was set up in order to test the comparability of results obtained in different laboratories, each using its own preparation method. Each of the 23 laboratories received the same amount of homogenized splits of four Quaternary sediment samples. The samples originate from different localities and consisted of a variety of lithologies. Dinoflagellate cysts were extracted and counted, and relative and absolute abundances were calculated. The relative abundances proved to be fairly reproducible, notwithstanding a need for taxonomic calibration. By contrast, excessive loss of Lycopodium spores during sample preparation resulted in non-reproducibility of absolute abundances. Use of oxidation, KOH, warm acids, acetolysis, mesh sizes larger than 15 µm and long ultrasonication (> 1 min) must be avoided to determine reproducible absolute abundances. The results of this work therefore indicate that the dinoflagellate cyst worker should make a choice between using the proposed standard method which circumvents critical steps, adding Lycopodium tablets at the end of the preparation and using an alternative method.",

author = "K Mertens and Verhoeven and Verleye and Louwye and Amorim and Sofia Ribeiro and Deaf, {Amr S.} and Harding, {Ian C.} and Schepper, {Stijn De} and Catalina Gonz{\'a}lez and Monika Kodrans-Nsiah and Vernal, {Anne De} and Maryse Henry and Taoufik Radi and Karen Dybkjaer and Poulsen, {Niels E.} and Susanne Feist-Burkhardt and Jonah Chitolie and Claus Heilmann-Clausen and Laurent Londeix and Jean-Louis Turon and Fabienne Marret and Jens Matthiessen and McCarthy, {Francine M.G.} and Vandana Prasad and Vera Pospelova and Hughes, {Jane E. Kyffin} and Riding, {James B.} and Andr{\'e} Rochon and Francesca Sangiorgi and Natasja Welters and Natalie Sinclair and Christian Thun and Ali Soliman and Nieuwenhove, {Nicolas Van} and Annemiek Vink and Martin Young",

note = "Keywords: dinoflagellate cyst; concentration; Lycopodium clavatum tablets; spike; inter-laboratory calibration",

year = "2009",

doi = "10.1016/j.revpalbo.2009.05.004",

language = "English",

volume = "157",

pages = "238--252",

journal = "Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology",

issn = "0034-6667",

publisher = "Elsevier",

number = "3-4",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Determining the absolute abundance of dinoflagellate cysts in recent marine sediments: The Lycopodium marker-grain method put to the test

AU - Mertens, K

AU - Verhoeven, null

AU - Verleye, null

AU - Louwye, null

AU - Amorim, null

AU - Ribeiro, Sofia

AU - Deaf, Amr S.

AU - Harding, Ian C.

AU - Schepper, Stijn De

AU - González, Catalina

AU - Kodrans-Nsiah, Monika

AU - Vernal, Anne De

AU - Henry, Maryse

AU - Radi, Taoufik

AU - Dybkjaer, Karen

AU - Poulsen, Niels E.

AU - Feist-Burkhardt, Susanne

AU - Chitolie, Jonah

AU - Heilmann-Clausen, Claus

AU - Londeix, Laurent

AU - Turon, Jean-Louis

AU - Marret, Fabienne

AU - Matthiessen, Jens

AU - McCarthy, Francine M.G.

AU - Prasad, Vandana

AU - Pospelova, Vera

AU - Hughes, Jane E. Kyffin

AU - Riding, James B.

AU - Rochon, André

AU - Sangiorgi, Francesca

AU - Welters, Natasja

AU - Sinclair, Natalie

AU - Thun, Christian

AU - Soliman, Ali

AU - Nieuwenhove, Nicolas Van

AU - Vink, Annemiek

AU - Young, Martin

N1 - Keywords: dinoflagellate cyst; concentration; Lycopodium clavatum tablets; spike; inter-laboratory calibration

PY - 2009

Y1 - 2009

N2 - Absolute abundances (concentrations) of dinoflagellate cysts are often determined through the addition of Lycopodium clavatum marker-grains as a spike to a sample before palynological processing. An inter-laboratory calibration exercise was set up in order to test the comparability of results obtained in different laboratories, each using its own preparation method. Each of the 23 laboratories received the same amount of homogenized splits of four Quaternary sediment samples. The samples originate from different localities and consisted of a variety of lithologies. Dinoflagellate cysts were extracted and counted, and relative and absolute abundances were calculated. The relative abundances proved to be fairly reproducible, notwithstanding a need for taxonomic calibration. By contrast, excessive loss of Lycopodium spores during sample preparation resulted in non-reproducibility of absolute abundances. Use of oxidation, KOH, warm acids, acetolysis, mesh sizes larger than 15 µm and long ultrasonication (> 1 min) must be avoided to determine reproducible absolute abundances. The results of this work therefore indicate that the dinoflagellate cyst worker should make a choice between using the proposed standard method which circumvents critical steps, adding Lycopodium tablets at the end of the preparation and using an alternative method.

AB - Absolute abundances (concentrations) of dinoflagellate cysts are often determined through the addition of Lycopodium clavatum marker-grains as a spike to a sample before palynological processing. An inter-laboratory calibration exercise was set up in order to test the comparability of results obtained in different laboratories, each using its own preparation method. Each of the 23 laboratories received the same amount of homogenized splits of four Quaternary sediment samples. The samples originate from different localities and consisted of a variety of lithologies. Dinoflagellate cysts were extracted and counted, and relative and absolute abundances were calculated. The relative abundances proved to be fairly reproducible, notwithstanding a need for taxonomic calibration. By contrast, excessive loss of Lycopodium spores during sample preparation resulted in non-reproducibility of absolute abundances. Use of oxidation, KOH, warm acids, acetolysis, mesh sizes larger than 15 µm and long ultrasonication (> 1 min) must be avoided to determine reproducible absolute abundances. The results of this work therefore indicate that the dinoflagellate cyst worker should make a choice between using the proposed standard method which circumvents critical steps, adding Lycopodium tablets at the end of the preparation and using an alternative method.

U2 - 10.1016/j.revpalbo.2009.05.004

DO - 10.1016/j.revpalbo.2009.05.004

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0034-6667

VL - 157

SP - 238

EP - 252

JO - Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology

JF - Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology

IS - 3-4

ER -

Determining the absolute abundance of dinoflagellate cysts in recent marine sediments: The Lycopodium marker-grain method put to the test

Abstract

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Cite this