Dinocysts as tracers of hydrographical conditions and productivity along the ocean margins: Introduction

Quaternary organic- and calcitic-walled dinoflagellate cysts have received considerable attention within the last two decades due to their potential as tracers of sea surface parameters (temperature, salinity, sea ice cover, productivity). Despite uncertainties about taxonomical identity and limitations due to taphonomical processes, dinoflagellate cysts provide extremely useful and unique information on marine environments of the past. This is illustrated in the present special issue, which contains a selection of papers dealing with various approaches for reconstructing oceanographic parameters such as productivity, sea-ice cover, salinity, temperature, seasonality, and stratification in the upper water mass. All papers use organic-walled dinoflagellate cysts as their main proxy, but most combine the dinocyst information with results from complementary proxies, including benthic foraminifers, coccoliths, pollen, and stable isotopes in carbonates or organic matter. In all contributions, the approaches are based upon rigorous statistical treatment.