Biomarkers

Paleoceanographers use the term biomarker to describe organic molecules found in marine sediments, initially produced by a variety of organisms either on land or in the marine environment . A key characteristic of biomarkers is their ability to survive deposition in the archive in terms of their original structure and steroidal configuration (i.e., spatial distribution of the atoms) . Their usefulness for paleoceanographic reconstructions largely depends on their degradation within the archive .

Biomarkers used in paleoceanography includes:

• Alkenones
• TEX86

References