Dinoflagellates, their cysts and Quaternary stratigraphy

Abstract

Dinoflagellates are described, with particular emphasis on their feeding strategies and role within the phytoplankton. The potential ecological value of the fossilizable hypnozygotic cyst in reconstructing the climate throughout the Quaternary marine record is noted. Dinoflagellate cysts can be used to detect changing climates in marine Quaternary sediment sequences as pollen is used for continental Strata. The unique capacity of dinoflagellate cysts in effecting correlations from the deep ocean to the inner shelf is of potential importance.