Siliceous productivity changes in Gulf of Ancud sediments (42°S, 72°W), southern Chile, over the last ~150 years.

We evaluated changes in siliceous export production and the source of organic matter preserved in sediment core MD07-3109H recovered from the Gulf of Ancud, Chiloé Inner Sea (42°S, 72°W, water column depth: 328 m), southern Chile. We analyzed the abundance of siliceous microfossils (diatoms, silicoflagellates, sponge spicules, Chrysophyte cysts, phytoliths), geochemical proxies (weight percent silicon %Si_OPAL, organic carbon, total nitrogen, C/N molar), and sediment stable isotopes (δ¹³C_org, δ¹⁵N). Chronology based on ²¹⁰Pb and ¹⁴C provided an accumulated age of 144 years at the base of the core.

Sediments of core MD07-3109H are predominantly marine in origin, averaging δ¹³C_org=–20.75‰±0.82, δ¹⁵N=8.7±0.35‰, and C/N=8.76±0.36. Marine diatoms compose 94% of the total assemblage of siliceous microfossils. Our record of productivity based on the mass accumulation rates of organic carbon, total nitrogen, Si_OPAL, and total diatoms showed high values between 1863 and 1869 AD followed by a declining trend until 1921 AD, a transition period from 1921 to 1959 AD with fluctuating values, and a clear decreasing pattern from 1960 AD to the present. This marked reduction in productivity was associated with decreased precipitation and Puelo River streamflow (41°S), as well as a warmer and more stratified water column, especially since the 1980s.