Biostratigraphy, the establishment of the relative age of marine sediments, is a critical first-order priority to create a robust age model for the stratigraphic interval of interest. In addition to the relative age provided by planktonic foraminifera and other marine microfossils, biostratigraphy establishes a means of correlation between sites. The microfossil assemblages provide key information about paleoenvironment, paleoecology, paleoceanography, and paleoclimatology, while foraminiferal tests provide the substrate for a wide range of geochemical analyses and paleoceanographic proxies. Correct identification of species (i.e., taxonomy) is vital to all of these goals: age, correlation, paleoenvironment, and geochemistry.

The unfortunate reality is that the number of foraminiferal specialists globally is declining and will likely continue to decline in the coming years, in large part due to micropaleontology not being taught within geoscience programs. This is occurring just as the science community seeks to continue the extraordinary 60-year legacy (1968–2028) of scientific ocean drilling. Another reality is that many who work with foraminifera become specialized in a narrow stratigraphic range of taxa, such as the Quaternary, the Neogene, or PETM interval. The future of scientific ocean drilling and the field of biostratigraphy will depend on micropaleontologists who have broad experience across Mesozoic-Cenozoic sedimentary sequences, which record tectonic, paleoclimatic, and paleoceanographic events, including ancient global warming events with societal relevance for our current climate and biotic crises.

Micropaleontologists are sedimentary problem-solvers.  As such, they are critical to the needs of others who work with the sedimentary record. The problems associated with sedimentary record research ranges from age of deposition and correlation, to paleoenvironment and reworking of older material; from paleoecology and life history of the organisms to geochemical analyses and potential diagenesis. Key questions regarding micropaleontology and biostratigraphy include how old the sediments are (i.e., microfossil zones) and if the microfossil calcite is good enough for geochemical analyses. Micropaleontologists are the keyholders to these fundamental questions, and provide the foundation for robust and high-resolution studies that rely on age models and geochemistry. For example, micropaleontological studies can inform about changes in a species’ depth preference over time, which has implications for reconstructing the water column.

This workshop is designed to create a more global network of micropaleontologists with a speciality on planktonic foraminifera, as current training opportunities in planktonic foraminiferal taxonomy, biostratigraphy, and paleoecology are all located outside of the U.S. Participants will hone their skills using the extensive reference collections and deep sea drilling samples housed in the Micropaleontology Lab at UMass Amherst. The workshop is ideal for students and early career scientists, and mid- to late-career scientists seeking to expand their stratigraphic experience. This workshop will bring critical skills to those based at U.S. institutions, and thus begin a more global network of microfossil training experiences.