Investigating the Mysterious Early Miocene Pelagic Shark Extinction: Insights from Marine Barite and Planktic Foraminifera

Abstract

Shifts in the biological pump and carbon export impact climate and marine ecosystems. During the early Miocene, the drivers of an identified pelagic shark extinction in the Pacific Ocean, remain unknown. In this study, I propose to couple foraminifera-bound organic δ15N (FB-δ15N, denitrification proxy) and barite accumulation rates (BAR; carbon export proxy), to investigate shifts in nutrient dynamics that may be influencing the dramatic shift in the pelagic ecosystem. I will combine FB-δ15N records and BAR records from the Pacific and Atlantic to develop a global understanding of any major biogeochemical shifts during this time.

Biography

Growing up in the Bronx, New York, my first hands-on experience with Earth science was a high school internship at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory’s Secondary School Field Research Program. I was drawn to paleoclimate and paleoceanography as a first-year student at Barnard College. I was fascinated that we could understand past climate through archives in marine sediment which could inform future changes. Through the Science Pathways Scholars Program, I conducted paleoclimate research at the American Museum of Natural History. I completed my undergraduate thesis reconstructing CO2 outgassing in the Southern Indian Ocean using planktic foraminifera. I am currently a Ph.D student at The Ohio State University advised by Dr. Elizabeth Griffith. I am interested in understanding changes in the paleo-ocean and carbon cycle that have led to abrupt and extreme changes. The Schlanger Fellowship will allow me to investigate biogeochemical shifts during the early Miocene to understand ecosystems’ response to major perturbations and how they might respond in the future. I am grateful for the mentors who have shaped my passions in paleoceanography and paleoclimatology through their constant encouragement and guidance in my journey.