Assessing the relationship between depositional dynamics and ecological quality in Holocene deltaic and shelf successions

The activities associated with the training programme require: (i) specific taxonomic expertise in meiofaunal assemblages; (ii) specific expertise in multivariate quantitative analysis and the calculation of ecological indices, and (iii) general knowledge of integrated stratigraphy and sequence stratigraphy applied to Quaternary successions. The activity plan will include: (i) lithofacies characterization of sediment cores; (ii) collection and processing of sediment samples; (iii) quantitative analyses of ostracod and foraminiferal assemblages, following standard procedures, including the taxonomic identification to species level; (iv) facies characterization and reconstruction of the paleoenvironmental evolution of the investigated successions; and (v) environmental quality assessment along stratigraphy in relation to depositional dynamics. Finally, the training programme includes the processing and interpretation of the results and their presentation at conferences.