Bioerosion

The Project Grotta Azzurra - Over the blue: hypothesis of valorisation and study of the state of conservation of the marble statues

by Barbara Davidde

Co-authored with, Sandra Ricci and Filomena Lucci.
Poster presented during the UNESCO Colloquium:
International Scientific Colloquium on Factors impacting Underwater Cultural Heritage 13 December and 14 December 2011 in Brussels (Belgium)

Early large borings from a hardground of Floian-Dapingian age (Early and Middle Ordovician) in northeastern Estonia (Baltica)

by Olev Vinn

Carnets de Géologie CG2010_L04

Littoral bioerosion, a tool for the study of sea level variations during the Holocene

by Christophe Morhange

Coral reef bioerosion in times of crises – the Late Triassic/ Early Jurassic example

by Markus Bertling

A study across the major extinction phase of scleractinians during the Late Triassic/Early Jurassic was performed.... more A study across the major extinction phase of scleractinians during the Late Triassic/Early Jurassic was performed. Samples from seven localities in Austria, Morocco and Iran were quantitatively evaluated for macroborings. Each locality represents a turbid or clear-water environment before and after the 5 million years of crisis. Norian reefs suffered almost no bioerosion in clear water but in a turbid setting, they were oderately bored with ”worms’’ dominating over bivalves and cirripeds. Late Rhaetian reefs independently of the environment were slightly bored by the same array of borers. In the Pliensbachian, ”worms’’ still dominated over bivalves and cirripeds, again independent of the facies. The pattern of coral reef macroboring hence remained essentially unchanged across the major end-Triassic extinction phase of corals. There is good evidence for joint evolution of coral borers and their substrate.
Borers did not facilitate the Late Triassic reef decline but they did respond to it.

Icnologia de les conques marines pliocenes del marge Nord-Occidental de la Mediterrània

by Jordi M. (de) Gibert

Gibert, J.M. de 1996. Ph.D. Thesis, Universitat de Barcelona, Spain

The ichnology of the marine Pliocene sediments in the North-western margin of the Mediterranean (Catalonia and SE... more The ichnology of the marine Pliocene sediments in the North-western margin of the Mediterranean (Catalonia and SE France) is studied. Seven different basins (Baix Ebre, Baix Llobregat, Alt Empordà, Rosselló, Orb, Rhòne i Var), all them corresponding to marginal rias, bays and paleogulfs, are the object of this study. From a taxonomic point of view, 41 ichnotaxa are quoted; 26 are bioturbation structures and 15 are bioerosion structures. One of them is a new ichnogenus and new ichnospecies. The trace fossils record the Zanclean transgression on the pre-Pliocene rocky substrates.
This record is constituted by a very recurrent “Gastrochaenolites”-“Entobia” assemblage, typically littoral. Seventeen ichnofabrics have been recognized in the marine sediments of the studied basins. Each one is characterized by its trace fossils assemblage, its bioturbation index and its ichnological diversity. The variability of the ichnofabrics is a consequence of paleo-environmental changes, mainly in salinity, bathymetry and sedimentation. AlI the basins, except the Var one, correspond to shallow and marginal environments, with variable salinity (locally brackish). The Var basin includes ichnofabrics with higher diversity and/or bioturbation index than those of other basins, indicating the depth and the more marine conditions.

Ichnological features of a marine transgression: Middle Miocene Rocky Shores of Tarragona, Spain

by Jordi M. (de) Gibert

Domènech, R.; Gibert, J.M. de; Martinell, J. 2001. Geobios 34(1): 99-107.

Bioerosion traces from six rocky shore localities in the Miocene Tarragona basin are described. The bioerosion affects... more Bioerosion traces from six rocky shore localities in the Miocene Tarragona basin are described. The bioerosion affects Jurassic and Miocene carbonate substrates. The ichnotaxa include borings produced by bivalves (Gastrochaenolites and Phryxichnus), sponges (Entobia), annelids (Maeandropolydora) and sipunculids (Trypanites). Phryxichnus is recorded for the first time in the Miocene. Trace fossil assemblages, although slightly different among localities, can be tipified as a Gastrochaenolites-Entobia assemblage which is typical of Neogene rocky shores and belongs to the Entobia Ichnofacies which characterizes littoral rockground environments since the Jurassic. Borings affect both the rocky substrate and the associated conglomeratic deposits. The assemblages found on wave-cut platforms are composite assemblages resulting from the overprinting of successive ichnocenoses that replace each other during a transgression. The assemblages found in the conglomerates represent less mature communities due to clast instability produced by physical disturbance characteristic of a littoral environment. The rocky shores described in this paper were originated during a single transgressive event that took place during the Langhian-Serravalian (Middle Miocene) and the surface that can be drawn correlating the sites constitutes the base of the Tarragona Depositional Sequence.

Macroborings (Gastrochaenolites) In Lower Ordovician Hardgrounds of Utah: Sedimentologic, Paleoecologic, and Evolutionary Implications

by Jordi M. (de) Gibert

Benner, J.S; Ekdale, A.A.; Gibert, J.M. de 2004. Palaios 19: 543–550.

New evidence of fossil macroborings in the Lower Ordovician (Ibexian) of western Utah demonstrates that the... more New evidence of fossil macroborings in the Lower Ordovician (Ibexian) of western Utah demonstrates that the macroboring behavioral strategy was firmly established in the earliest stages of the great Ordovician diversification of the marine biosphere. In Utah, borings were excavated in hardgrounds that had developed on sponge-algal mounds and flat-pebble conglomerates in the Fillmore Formation (Ibexian). Themost complete specimens possess a neck up to 1 cm in length that opens into a teardrop-shaped chamber with a maximum diameter of 1 cm. The chamber terminates at a depth of 3–4 cm below the hardground surface. These borings belong to the ichnogenus Gastrochaenolites. The organisms responsible for creating the borings are unknown. Sedimentologically, the effect of boring on hardgrounds was to break them into pebble- and cobble-sized clasts. The endolithic lifestyle represented by the borings may have evolved in response to ecologic pressures such as predation or competition for food resources. The macroborings from the Fillmore Formation represent an innovative strategy that may have resulted in the later development of new body plans and the early establishment of endolithic macroinvertebrates.

Presencia de Teredolites en la Formación Arcillas de Morella (Cretácico Inferior, Castellón)

by Jordi M. (de) Gibert

Ferrer, O.; Gibert, J. M. de 2005. Revista Española de Paleontología, N.E. X, 39-47.

The present paper documents the presence of bored tree logs in the Morella Mudstone Formation (Lower Aptian,... more The present paper documents the presence of bored tree logs in the Morella Mudstone Formation (Lower Aptian, Castellón). Two different forms have been recognized corresponding to two different ichnospecies: Teredolites clavatus and Teredolites longissimus. The borings are similar to those produced nowadays by bivalves of the families Pholadidae and Teredinidae. The presence of the borings in the upper part of the Morella Mudstone Formation, together with other sedimentological and paleontological data, evidence a clear marine (tidal) infl uence for these deposits. The horizon containing Teredolites is interpreted as a transgressive surface (TS) separating the continental red mudstone facies that constitute the lowstand systems tract (LST) and the marine heterolitic facies corresponding to the transgressive systems tract (TST).

Bioerosion in shell beds from the Pliocene Roussillon Basin, France: Implications for the (macro)bioerosion ichnofacies model

by Jordi M. (de) Gibert

Gibert, J.M. de; Domènech, R.; Martinell, J. 2007. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 52 (4): 783-798

The marine Pliocene at the locality of Nefiach (Roussillon Basin, SE France) includes several shell beds constituted... more The marine Pliocene at the locality of Nefiach (Roussillon Basin, SE France) includes several shell beds constituted by oysters and scallops that bear a diverse and abundant bioerosion trace fossil assemblage. The most abundant trace fossils are Gnathichnus pentax and Radulichnus inopinatus, produced by the grazing activity of echinoids and polyplacophorans upon algae and other microorganisms coating shell surfaces. Other bioerosion traces include polychaete dwellings (Caulostrepsis taeniola and Maeandropolydora sulcans), sponge boring systems (Entobia isp.), and rare bryozoan borings (Pinaceocladichnus  isp.), predation structures (Oichnus simplex and repaired durophagous scars), and foraminiferal fixation pits (Centrichnus  cf. eccentricus). The trace fossil assemblage records short-term bioerosion in shellgrounds in a moderate energy setting as evinced by the dominance of epigenic or shallow endogenic structures produced in most cases by 'instantaneous' behaviors. The assemblage can be assigned to the Gnathichnus ichnofacies, and it contrasts with that found in Pliocene rocky shores in the same geographic area, which are examples of the Entobia ichnofacies. The Gnathichnus  ichnofacies is validated as an archetypal one and its recurrency demonstrated since the Jurassic. Entobia and Gnathichnus  ichnofacies have to be used in the Mesozoic and Cenozoic as substitutes of the previously existing Trypanites ichnofacies, which is still valid in the Palaeozoic.

Enigmatic organisms preserved in early Ordovician macroborings, western Utah, USA

by Jordi M. (de) Gibert

Benner, J.S.; Ekdale, A.A.; Gibert, J.M. de 2008. In: Wisshak, M.; Tapanila, L. (eds.), Current Developments in Bioerosion, Springer, Berlin, 55-64.

Macroborings in the Lower Ordovician Fillmore Formation, western Utah, USA, occasionally contain fossil remains of... more Macroborings in the Lower Ordovician Fillmore Formation, western Utah, USA, occasionally contain fossil remains of enigmatic organisms. In the most complete specimens a common morphology can be observed. The calcified body wall of the animal is vase-shaped, mimicking the shape of the boring itself. An ovoid body leads up to a neck that contains either a single or double cylinder near the aperture of the boring. The incomplete preservation of the specimens is not sufficient to identify the biological affinity of the organism at this time, but a review of potential groups is warranted. While such groups as barnacles, bivalves, mitrates, and a host of worm-like forms are potential boring inhabitants, none fit what is known of the morphology of the specimens from Utah. Regardless, recognition and future identification of these animals will lead to a greater understanding of complex hardground trophic systems during the Ordovician Bioerosion Revolution.

First trace-fossil evidence of bone-eating worms in whale carcasses

by Jordi M. (de) Gibert

Muñiz, F.; Gibert, J.M. de; Esperante, R. 2010. Palaios 25(4): 269-273.

Whale corpses on the modern seafloor host particular communities  that benefit from the large amounts of... more Whale corpses on the modern seafloor host particular communities  that benefit from the large amounts of available labile organic  matter. The study of these communities has revealed the presence  of the siboglinid annelid Osedax that feeds on bone tissue by means of a symbiotic relationship with heterotrophic bacteria. Here we report the presence of tubular borings in a fragment of the neurocranium of a fossil baleen whale found in lower Pliocene rocks of southeastern Spain. They are formally described as Trypanites ionasi isp. n. The fossil borings can be assigned to annelid or sipunculid worms and may constitute the first evidence of an Osedax-like osteophagous behavior in the fossil record of cetaceans. Nevertheless, the definitive assignment to Osedax is not possible until we have more information on the morphology of modern siboglinid borings.

MARINE BIOEROSION OF STONE ARTEFACTS PRESERVED IN THE MUSEO ARCHEOLOGICO DEI CAMPI FLEGREI IN THE CASTLE OF BAIA (NAPLES)

by Barbara Davidde

Co-authored with Sandra Ricci Domenico Poggi Marco Bartolini, published in Archaeologia Maritima Mediterranea, 7, 2010:75-115

The work is focuses on the characterization of the biological deterioration present on twenty-seven statues and... more The work is focuses on the characterization of the biological deterioration present on twenty-seven statues and architectural
fragments discovered in the sea at Campi Flegrei and exhibited in the Museo Archeologico dei Campi Flegrei in the Castle of
Baia (Naples). These bioerosive agents comprise macroborers, such as clionid sponges, spionid polychaetes and lithophagine bivalves, and microborers (euendolithic microorganisms -
cyanobacteria, fungi, algae). The study aimed at determining in detail the type of biodeterioration, the extent of the diverse types of deterioration, the mineralogical and petrographic characterization (whenever necessary), and the lithotype/bioerosion relationships as well as those between the bioerosion and the way in which the finds were positioned in the sea. Together with the study of the alterations of an endolithic
nature, the paper describes the encrusting forms still present on the surface of the artefacts. The work also include a study of the finds to make a preliminary identification and classification
of the lithotypes; for some samples,the chemical-mineralogical tests using infrared spectrophotometry (FTIR) and the preparation of cross thin sections analyzed under a polarizing microscope are made. Bioerosion prove to be the major process causing the deterioration of carbonate material and rocky limestone in marine environments along with physico-chemical dissolution and mechanical abrasion. The most widespread and destructive form of deterioration proved to be that produced by perforating sponges, present on all the artefacts examined.
Based on what was recorded, it is possible to confirm that the combined action of attack from clionides and bivalves can lead,
over time, to the total destruction of portions of the artefact.
There was evidence of the widespread presence of microscopic bioerosion, caused by autotrophic and heterotrophic microorganisms, visible only through sem observations,
which despite not creating large chambers, progressively undermine the resistance of the stone and facilitate the development of other biodeteriogens. Methods and strategies
for the protection and museum display in situ are discussed.

Calcium carbonate budgets for two coral reefs affected by different terrestrial runoff regimes, Rio Bueno, Jamaica.

by Jennie Mallela

Mallela J, Perry CT (2007) Calcium carbonate budgets for two coral reefs affected by different terrestrial runoff regimes, Rio Bueno, Jamaica. Coral Reefs 26:53-68

keywords:Coral reef - Carbonate production - Carbonate budget - Riverine impacts - Sediment - Bioerosion

A process-based carbonate budget was used to compare carbonate framework production at two reef sites subject to... more A process-based carbonate budget was used to compare carbonate framework production at two reef sites subject to varying degrees of fluvial influence in Rio Bueno, Jamaica. The turbid, central embayment was subjected to high rates of fluvial sediment input, framework accretion was restricted to ≤30 m, and net carbonate production was 1,887 g CaCO3 m−2 year−1. Gross carbonate production (GCP) was dominated by scleractinians (97%), particularly by sediment-resistant species, e.g. Diploria strigosa on the reef flat (<2 m). Calcareous encrusters contributed very little carbonate. Total bioerosion removed 265 g CaCO3 m−2 year−1 and was dominated by microborers. At the clear-water site, net carbonate production was 1,236 g CaCO3 m−2 year−1; the most productive zone was on the fore-reef (10 m). Corals accounted for 82% of GCP, and encrusting organisms 16%. Bioerosion removed 126 g CaCO3 m−2 year−1 and was dominated by macroborers. Total fish and urchin grazing was limited throughout (≤20 g CaCO3 m−2 year−1). The study demonstrates that: (1) carbonate production and net reef accretion can occur where environmental conditions approach or exceed perceived threshold levels for coral survival; and (2) although live coral cover (and carbonate production rates) were reduced on reef-front sites along the North Jamaican coast, low population densities of grazing fish and echinoids to some extent offset this, thus maintaining positive carbonate budgets.

Late Jurassic Reef Bioerosion-- the Dawning of a New Era

by Markus Bertling

Taphonomy of Trace Fossils at Omission Surfaces (Middle Triassic, East Germany)

by Markus Bertling

(let me know if you cannot access the pdf...)

In shallowing-upward cycles of the East German (Thuringian) Muschelkalk (Middle Triassic), sedimentological (probably... more In shallowing-upward cycles of the East German (Thuringian) Muschelkalk (Middle Triassic), sedimentological (probably storm) events interrupted longer periods of low net-sedimentation. The ichnofauna changed with the diagenesis of the substrate; it does not represent an ecological succession. The presence of both firmground and hardground traces in the same samples indicates superimposed Trypanites and Glossifungites ichnofacies. The ichnofabric of burrows was ‘frozen' by cementation during omission, the amount of erosion controlling the preservation of the upper tiers (borings). In general, both burrowing and boring has been intense but patchy, and recruitment of tracemakers had been almost monospecific. A hostile environment, perhaps due to high salinity and/or erosion, may thus be assumed. The type of preservation was governed by different reactions to sulphide production in different chemical microenvironments during early diagenesis. In absence of significant amounts of iron, H2S escaped into burrows or borings from the adjacent anaerobic sediment. Depending on local physicochemistry, this resulted in calcite or pyrite precipitation. Well-aerated parts of burrows facilitated the formation of celestite after reoxidation of sulphide. On goethite-encrusted hardgrounds, pyrite rings were formed around numerous borings, trapping the active H2S immediately after its formation. These haloes were previously mistaken as excrements.

Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Macroboring Within Mesozoic and Cenozoic Coral Reef Systems

by Markus Bertling

Late Jurassic Coral/Microbial Reefs From the Northern Paris Basin--Facies, Palaeoecology and Palaeobiogeography

by Markus Bertling

(let me know if you cannot access the pdf...)

During the late middle Oxfordian, patch reefs grew on the northern margin of the Paris Basin. According to the facies... more During the late middle Oxfordian, patch reefs grew on the northern margin of the Paris Basin. According to the facies analysis of the reef and inter-reef sediments, the environment was a warm, clear and agitated sea with highly episodic sedimentation. The bioherms were a short-lived phenomenon during the third phase of regional reefal development. Sequence stratigraphically, they are associated with a highstand system tract. Volumetrically and trophically dominant organisms were microbes now represented by massive clotted leiolite; ‘stalactitic’ hemispheroids with purely thrombolitic texture are restricted to open caves.

Corals were of structural, reef-building importance due to their rapid upward growth. The patch reefs are characterised by thickets of ramose corals which developed a very open framework. In the vicinity of these patch reefs, though in hydrodynamically higher-energy environments, grew thickets of more stoutly branched corals; however, they are rarely preserved in situ and are generally represented as abundant coral rubble. The reef taxa are characterised by the notable absence of several groups (e.g. oysters, serpulids, bryozoans, pectinids) occurring at other localities where reefs of similar age developed in similar environmental conditions. The reefs also have strikingly modern aspects to them, in particular the presence of cryptic elements within caves and a sponge-dominated borer association. Dwellers belong to various life-form types although encrusting taxa are exceedingly rare. This may be explained by the presence of soft microbial films on most surfaces.

The palaeoecological analysis suggests that the major controls on faunal composition and high diversity were elevated nutrient levels, highly episodic sedimentation and probably seasonal environmental disturbances. Structural and functional aspects of the reef community (grazers trigger framebuilders, borers trigger binders, binders hamper borers) allow ecological comparisons to be made with contemporaneous, as well as Recent, reefs. The unique combination of ecological factors resulted in a specialised, previously undescribed, community which differs from both Tethyan and northern localities in various aspects; these include cavities with cryptofauna, prominence of grazing gastropods and high faunal diversity in a microbially dominated build-up.