Conference Agenda

Calcareous nannoplankton are among the most effective tools for paleoenvironmental reconstructions, thanks to their wide geographic distribution and high sensitivity to environmental changes. Parameters such as coccolith size, relative abundance, and assemblage diversity provide key insights into past ocean conditions, including surface-water temperature and fertility, and ocean chemistry.

Beyond local paleoecological reconstructions, calcareous nannoplankton have been widely used to investigate ocean-atmosphere dynamics at both regional and global scales, and across a range of temporal resolutions, from short-term events to long-term trends. The Cretaceous period, marked by major climatic and oceanographic changes, offers numerous examples of large-scale environmental perturbations, many of which are associated with intense Large Igneous Province activity. In particular, Oceanic Anoxic Events (OAEs), often linked to episodes of massive volcanism, represent key case studies for understanding plankton community responses during times of environmental stress.

This presentation will provide an overview of the paleoecological responses of calcareous nannoplankton to environmental perturbations during the Cretaceous, considering both specific OAEs and long-term background intervals (non-OAE periods). The aim is to assess how calcareous nannoplankton responded to environmental stress, whether and under what conditions they were resilient, and which thresholds may have triggered disruptions in ecological equilibrium. Potential recurring patterns among similar events, the timing and pathways of recovery following peak perturbation phases, and the factors that influenced calcification in the past will be explored keeping an eye on what is observed in modern plankton systems, offering insights into the links between past crises and ongoing environmental change.