Two millennial-scale paleolimnological records from San Salvador Island, Bahamas

Paleolimnological data from Moon Rock Pond (MRP) and Crescent Pond (CP) on San Salvador Island, Bahamas. This data was derived from analysis of gravity cores retrieved from each pond using UWITEC core barrels (core MRP20-01, 39.6 cm long; core CP20-01, 45.6 cm long) and 4.5 cm-diameter Glew-style core barrels (core MRP20-02, 41.0 cm; core CP20-02, 48.5 cm). Grain size and End Member Modelling Analysis (EMMA) were carried out on cores MRP20-01 and CP20-01, revealing six and four robust end members, respectively. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis was performed on cores MRP20-02 and CP20-02 using the Itrax core scanner. Radiocarbon dating of the cores MRP20-01 and CP20-01 indicated that the cores span several thousand years (Moon Rock Pond, ~3,100 years; Crescent Pond, ~3,900 years). Together, these datasets archive records of environmental change in the Bahamas during the late Holocene.

Methods
Upon retrieval, cores MRP20-01 and CP20-01 were subsampled on-site at 1-mm resolution using a portable, high-resolution sediment core extruder, refrigerated, and transferred to Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada, for subsequent analysis. The subsamples were preprocessed for grain size analysis; briefly, 30% H2O2 was added to the subsamples and placed in an 80°C water bath to oxidize organic matter. After preprocessing, the subsamples were analyzed using a Beckman Coulter LS 13 320 laser diffraction grain size analyzer equipped with a universal liquid module to yield a 93-bin grain size distribution ranging from 0.375 μm to 2,000 μm. The grain size data was then used for End Member Modelling Analysis (EMMA), which produced six and four end members for Moon Rock Pond and Crescent Pond, respectively. Cores MRP20-02 and CP20-02 were dewatered on site, refrigerated, and transported to McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada, for X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis. The cores were halved lengthwise and analyzed stepwise at 0.2 mm increments by a Cox Itrax XRF Core Scanner.