在马里亚纳海沟“蛟龙号”载人深潜器海试区约7000m水深的海底,发现了硅藻化石软泥沉积物,为中国首次在此大深度船载采集到硅藻化石软泥。室内硅藻化石分析显示,重力柱状样顶部约10cm厚的软泥为大筛盘藻Ethmodiscus rex硅藻软泥。化石主要由大筛盘藻组成,呈碎片状,数量巨大,并伴生有Azpeitia等热带远洋浮游种类。硅藻化石软泥发育表明,本区曾发生过E.rex勃发事件,具有重要的古海洋学和古生物学研究意义。
The diatom ooze sediments were collected for the first time by the Chinese research vessel in 7000 m water depth of the Mariana Trench, which is the experimental area of Jiaolong human occupied vehicle. Diatomological analyses show that sediments of about 10 cm thickness in the core top are Ethmodiscus rex ooze. The fossil diatoms are dominated by large quantities of the Ehomodiscus rex with fragment status, accompanied by a few tropical open ocean planktonic species, e.g., Azpeitia. The diatom ooze in this deep region genetically indicates that the E. rex bloomed very fast in the geological history, and had important significance for the study of palaeoceanography and micropalaeontology.