Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

This site is currently in beta, and your feedback is helping shape its ongoing development.

2008-2017 Globigerinoides ruber Sediment Trap Data Collected from the Gulf of Mexico

Published by U.S. Geological Survey | Department of the Interior | Metadata Last Checked: January 27, 2026 | Last Modified: 2023-09-11T00:00:00Z
This data release includes results of a high-resolution (1–2 weeks) and long-term sediment trap time series collected from the northern Gulf of Mexico. This dataset allows for a detailed assessment of the seasonal distribution, size, morphological variability and geochemistry of co-occurring pink and white chromotypes of the shallow-water foraminifera, Globigerinoides ruber. The flux of both chromotypes is highly correlated, and both represent mean annual conditions in the marine surface mixed layer. Under modern climatic conditions in the Gulf of Mexico, USGS researchers found no significant offset in the Magnesium/Calcium (Mg/Ca) and delta Oxygen-18 (d18O) of co-occurring pink and white G. ruber (Richey and others, 2019). Furthermore, findings show the d18O and delta Carbon-13 (d13C) among the two morphotypes (sensu stricto and sensu lato) of both pink and white G. ruber to be indistinguishable. The test size distribution within the population varies seasonally, with the abundance of large individuals increasing (decreasing) in summer (winter). For further information regarding data collection and/or processing methods as well as the associated published manuscript refer to Richey and others (2019).

data.gov

An official website of the GSA's Technology Transformation Services

Looking for U.S. government information and services?
Visit USA.gov