Distribution of modern dinoflagellate cysts from inshore areas along the coast of southern Norway

Surface sediment samples from inshore areas along the coast of Norway, from Kragero in the south to Kristiansund in mid-Norway, were analysed for their dinoflagellate cyst content in order to establish a modern reference data base. Ultimately these data should furnish a firm foundation for dinoflagellate cyst research in the area in terms of both their spatial and their temporal records. Our aim is to build a data base containing reference samples from the various fjords and inshore areas along the entire Norwegian coast. Dinoflagellate cysts have been recovered from all the samples studied and three main areas have been distinguished based upon their cyst assemblages; the western part of Skagerrak, the southwestern coast of Norway bordering the North Sea, and the west coast of Norway bordering the Norwegian Sea. The dinoflagellate cyst assemblages from these areas are, most probably, closely related to oceanographic parameters and reflect latitudinal or climatic trends along this stretch of the coast. Copyright (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.