Emelie Ståhl

My research objective is to explore approaches for proxy-development using sedimentary DNA (sedaDNA) in marine sediments from the Arctic Ocean. My current focus is on the coccolithophore Gephyrocapsa huxleyi. This wide-spread planktonic species is characterized by its calcareous plates, or coccoliths. Since their origin around 290 ka, G. Huxleyi has left a significant fossil record in marine sediments. G. Huxleyi is one of the most important datums in Arctic paleoceanography, and is frequently used to identify the last interglacial period. However, carbonate preservation in Arctic sediments is often very poor, and in many instances calcareous nannofossils are completely absent from Quaternary sediments. The aim is to explore the use of sedaDNA to overcome the limitations of carbonate preservation in biostratigraphic analyses, and ultimately help to more confidently place the first occurrence datum of G. Huxleyi in the stratigraphic framework of Quaternary Arctic Ocean sediments.

PhD Student

Research Description