Distribution chart of nannoplankton species record

Between March and April of 1986 a series of water samples were taken in the South Atlantic to study the Recent calcareous nannoplankton assemblages in that part of the world. South of Africa, in the transitional floral zone, most of the coecolithophorid flora elements characteristic of this zone were recognized but in addition influences from the floras of the Indian Ocean were distinguished as well as floral elements belonging to the tropical and subtropical floral zones. It is concluded that the transitional floral zone should be redefined on the basis of seasonal changes of the assemblages. In the cold waters between the Subtropic and the Antarctic Convergences near the Antarctic continent, calcareous nannoplankton is scarce. Only a monospecific assemblage of malformed Emiliania huxleyi was found. Probably the combination of cold water and high hydro energy levels prevents the development of adiverse coccolith-bearing nannoplankton assemblage. South of the Antarctic Convergence no calcareous nannoplankton was found.