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. 2023 Jun 3;10(1):354.
doi: 10.1038/s41597-023-02264-2.

The FORCIS database: A global census of planktonic Foraminifera from ocean waters

Affiliations

The FORCIS database: A global census of planktonic Foraminifera from ocean waters

Sonia Chaabane et al. Sci Data. .

Abstract

Planktonic Foraminifera are unique paleo-environmental indicators through their excellent fossil record in ocean sediments. Their distribution and diversity are affected by different environmental factors including anthropogenically forced ocean and climate change. Until now, historical changes in their distribution have not been fully assessed at the global scale. Here we present the FORCIS (Foraminifera Response to Climatic Stress) database on foraminiferal species diversity and distribution in the global ocean from 1910 until 2018 including published and unpublished data. The FORCIS database includes data collected using plankton tows, continuous plankton recorder, sediment traps and plankton pump, and contains ~22,000, ~157,000, ~9,000, ~400 subsamples, respectively (one single plankton aliquot collected within a depth range, time interval, size fraction range, at a single location) from each category. Our database provides a perspective of the distribution patterns of planktonic Foraminifera in the global ocean on large spatial (regional to basin scale, and at the vertical scale), and temporal (seasonal to interdecadal) scales over the past century.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Schematic representation of the sampling devices deployed to collect modern planktonic Foraminifera from the global ocean at different depth levels, from a “snapshot” to an averaged time record, and integrated into the FORCIS database. CPR and plankton pump are sampling mainly the living planktonic Foraminifera living (yellow dots) in the upper ocean. The sediment trap is collecting mainly dead Foraminifera fluxes (white dots). The plankton net and multinet are sampling larger depth ranges. Arrows indicate resolution of the depth level(s).
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
(A) Temporal and spatial coverage of the FORCIS data at 4 × 4 degree (latitude and longitude) grid resolution colored for the time series range (years) of each cell. (B) Geographical locations of all records included in the FORCIS database.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Methodology and structuring FORCIS database compilation: from data collection and different access levels to the final published database.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Oceanic basin boundaries defined by the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) database map. Note that white areas were excluded.
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Number of subsamples collected by CPR (A), plankton net, plankton pump and sediment traps (B) per year in the FORCIS database.

References

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