Contact Information
Dept. of Geography, Geology and Anthropology
Indiana State University
159 Science Building
Terre Haute, IN 47809

Phone:
   812-237-2444
Fax:
   812-237-8029
E-mail

Site Maintained By:
   Jared Kluesner

   

Dr. Anthony E. Rathburn

Assistant Professor of Geology
Specialties: Paleoceanography, Paleoecology, Micropaleontology, Geobiology and Biogeochemistry of Methane Seeps
Ph.D., Duke University                                                Educational Excellence Teaching Award, Arts and Sciences, 2004
Joined the department in 2001

E-mail Dr. Rathburn
arathburn@isugw.indstate.edu
Phone: 812-237-2269                                                    Paleontology/Paleoceanography lab

Courses Taught at ISU

GEOL 160 Intro to Earth and Sky                                                                                GEOL 270 Historical Geology
GEOL 361 Oceanography
GEOL 470/570 Principles of Paleontology
GEOL 666 Seminar in Early Earth History (Early Life On Earth)                                     GEOL 661 Seminar in Paleoceanography
GEOL 661 Seminar in Paleoecology                                                                            GEOL 389 Introduction to Field Geology

Summary of Current Projects:

 My current work primarily focuses on the ecology and geochemistry of modern foraminifera and the calibration of proxies for use in paleoceanography.  I am involved in several projects that examine the relationships between ambient conditions, and the ecology and geochemistry of biomineralization in calcareous foraminifera.  Each of these projects incorporates student research. These include:

1.)  Interdisciplinary approach to understand stable isotopic disequilibrium in benthic foraminifera (A.E. Rathburn, J. M. Bernhard (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution), and J. B. Martin (Univ. Florida) Co-PIs)
In July, 2007, using the ROV JASON II, we will collect precisely-placed samples from targeted environments in Monterey Bay, off the coast of California. Together with graduate and undergraduate students and a postdoctoral researcher, we plan to analyze the samples for the three-dimensional distribution of foraminifera in the sediment, their food preferences, the presence/absence of symbionts, and carbon isotopic composition using a variety of recently developed techniques. Foraminiferal chemistry and distribution will be compared with pore water chemical and isotopic composition. To examine a broad spectrum of isotopic environments, we propose a coupled study of both non-seep sediments and nearby cold methane seep environments, where steep geochemical gradients occur. The specific hypotheses to be tested are:
1) The carbon isotopic composition of foraminiferal carbonate is influenced by clustering of individuals within sub-millimeter seep microenvironments.
2) The carbon isotopic composition of foraminiferal carbonate is influenced by diet.
3) The carbon isotopic composition of benthic foraminiferal carbonate is influenced by prokaryotic, non-photosynthetic symbionts.
 


2) Seasonal ecology and stable isotope signatures of California margin foraminifera (A. E. Rathburn, PI)  A time-series of seafloor samples collected at two sites in the Southern California Bight revealed differences in rose-Bengal stained foraminiferal assemblages between sites and seasonal samples that probably result from differences in surface productivity.  Opportunistic species and assemblage abundances change with seasons.  Seasonal changes in the stable isotopic composition of benthic foraminifera were not observed, but have been in other regions.  Seasonal changes in the _13C of foraminiferal carbonate appear to be more subtle than originally thought.


3) Response of benthic foraminifera to catastrophic disturbance on the Aleutian Margin (A. E. Rathburn and Lisa Levin Co-PIs)  Using JASON II  on a cruise in July, 2004, we mapped and sampled the seafloor in an area of the Aleutian margin.  Movement of seafloor sediments in the area were thought by some to be the cause of the 1946 tsunami that caused appreciable damage in Alaska and Hawaii.  Our mapping efforts revealed no geological features indicative of the slide predicted by some Tsunami modelers, making the 1946 tsunami even more mysterious.  We discovered new deep-sea coral habitats methane seeps, and sampled the mosaic of environments in this unexplored region.  In collaboration with Jon Martin (Univ. of Florida), we will examine the Sr and stable isotope signatures of modern and fossil foraminifera collected on the cruise.   We hope to understand the factors, including disturbance, which generate seafloor ecosystem mosaic in the submarine canyon systems.  These data will also help further calibrate faunal and geochemical proxy information from benthic foraminifera.  View Page


4) Ecology of foraminifera from the oxygen minimum zone off Peru (A. E. Rathburn and Lisa Levin Co-PIs)  Examination of foraminiferal assemblages collected along a transect across the oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) off Peru revealed noticeable differences in the percentages of calcareous and agglutinated taxa.    The percentage of agglutinated taxa in the center of the OMZ is much lower than those outside of the OMZ.  It is unclear why calcareous foraminifera are able to thrive in organic-rich OMZ environments while agglutinated taxa are not..

 

5) Ecology and distribution of benthic foraminifera from the Murray Canyons, Off Kangaroo Island, Australia (A. E. Rathburn, PI)  In collaboration with Patrick De Deckker (Australian National University), and researchers from France and Germany, seafloor samples were collected from the Murray Canyons, offshore Kangaroo Island, Australia.  The primary objective of this study is to provide faunal and geochemical information about modern foraminifera that can be used to assess changes in paleoproductivity from fossil records in the region.


6) Development of faunal and biogeochemical pollution proxies in the Venice Lagoon, Italy (part of an interdisciplinary Scripps team of Co-PIs)  Together with a team of Scripps Institution of Oceanography scientists, in 2005 we will begin experiments and seafloor sediments sampling of the Venice Lagoon in order to better understand the biogeochemical impacts of pollutants within the sediments.  One goal is to develop microfaunal and biogeochemical indicators of contaminants in order to monitor pollution impact and recovery

7.)

G3 Pub2003

Selected Publications

Gieskes, J., Mahn, C., Day, S., Martin, J., B., Greinert, J., Rathburn, A. E., McAdoo, B. (2005) A study of the chemistry of pore fluids and authigenic carbonates in methane seep environments:  Kodiak Trench , Hydrate Ridge, Monterey Bay, and Eel River Basin.  Chemical Geology 220 (2005)329-345

Martin, J. B., Day, S. A., Rathburn, A. E., Perez, M. E., Mahn, C, Gieskes, J., 2004. Relationships between the stable isotopic signatures of living and fossil foraminifera in Monterey Bay, California. Geochemistry, Geophysics and Geosystems, 5, Q04004, doi:10.1029/2003GC000629.

Rathburn, A.E., Perez, M. E., Martin, J. B., Day, S. A., Gieskes, J., Mahn, C., Ziebis, W., Williams, D., Bahls, A. (2003) Relationships between the distribution and stable isotopic composition of living foraminifera and cold methane seep biogeochemistry in Monterey Bay, California. Geochemistry, Geophysics and Geosystems 4(12), 1106, doi:10.1029/2003GC000595.

Levin, L. A., Rathburn, A. E., Neira, C., Sellanes, J., Munoz, P., Gallardo, V., Salamanca, M., (2002) Benthic Processes on the Peru Margin: A transect across the oxygen minimum zone during the 1997-1998 El Ni?o, Progress in Oceanography 53: 1-27.

Rathburn, A. E., Perez, M. E., and Lange, C., 2001, Benthic-Pelagic Coupling in The Southern California Bight: Relationships Between Sinking Organic Material, Diatoms and Benthic Foraminifera: Marine Micropaleontology, v. 43, p. 261-271.

Rathburn, A. E., Levin, L. A., Held, Z. A., Lohmann, K. C., 2000, Benthic Foraminifera Associated with Cold Methane Seeps on the Northern Californian Margin: Ecology and Stable Isotopic Composition: Marine Micropaleontology, v. 38 p. 247-266.

Gooday, A. J., and Rathburn, A. E., 1999, Temporal Variability in Living Deep-Sea Benthic Foraminifera: a Review, Earth-Science Reviews, v. 46, p. 187-212.

Rathburn, A. E., Pichon, J-. J., Ayress, M. A., and De Deckker, P., (1997) Microfossil and Stable Isotope Evidence for Changes in Late Holocene Paleoproductivity and Paleoceanographic Conditions in the Prydz Bay Region of Antarctica. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 131 (3/4): 485-510.

Rathburn, A. E., and De Deckker, P., (1997) Magnesium and Strontium Compositions of Recent Benthic Foraminifera from the Coral Sea, Australia, and Prydz Bay, Antarctica. Marine Micropaleontology, 32: 231-248.

Rathburn, A.E., B.H. Corliss, K. D. Tappa, and K.C. Lohmann, (1996). Comparisons of the Ecology and Stable Isotopic Compositions of Living (Stained) Deep-Sea Benthic Foraminifera from the Sulu and South China Seas. Deep-Sea Research, 43 (10): 1617-1646.

Rathburn, A.E. and B.H. Corliss, (1994). The Ecology of Living (Stained) Benthic Foraminifera from the Sulu Sea. Paleoceanography, 9, (1): 87-150.

 

Selected Abstracts (all with student co-aurthors)

Rathburn, A. E., and P?rez, M. E., (2002) Intra-annual changes in living deep-sea benthic foraminifera on the southern California margin: Seasonal Migration? GSA Abstracts with Programs, North-Central Section (36th) and Southeastern Section (51st), GSA Joint Annual Meeting (April 3-5, 2002). Vol. 34, No. 2, p. A-116.

Williams, D., Duncan, A., Backherms, A., P?rez, M. E., Rathburn, A. E., Martin, J. B., Day, S., Gieskes, J., Mahn, C., Ziebis, W., (2002) Clues to modern and ancient methane release: Living benthic foraminfera associated with cold methane seeps of Monterey Bay, California. GSA Abstracts with Programs, North-Central Section (36th) and Southeastern Section (51st), GSA Joint Annual Meeting (April 3-5, 2002). Vol. 34, No. 2, p. A-87.

P?rez, M. E. and Rathburn, A. E., Levin, L. A., and Deng, W-. B. (2002) The ecology of benthic foraminifera of the Peru oxygen minimum zone. GSA Abstracts with Programs Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs, GSA Annual Meeting in Denver, Co, ( Oct. 26-30), Vol. 34, no. 6, p. 352.

Williams, D., Duncan, A. , Backherms, A.,, P?rez, M. E., Rathburn, A. E., Martin, J. B., Day, S., Gieskes, J., Mahn, C., Ziebis, W. (2002) Stable isotopic compositions of living methane seep foraminifera: Applications for paleoceanography. Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs, GSA Annual Meeting in Denver, Co, ( Oct. 26-30), Vol. 34, no. 6, p. 31.


Rathburn, A. E., M. E. P?rez, J. Martin, S. Day, J. Gieskes, C. Mahn, W. Ziebis, D. Williams, A. Duncan, A. Backherms (2003) INVITED Can we use ecological and geochemical signals from benthic foraminifera to assess modern and ancient methane seepage? AGU/ECU Meeting in Nice, France, April.

Abriani, M A., Rathburn, A. E., P?rez, M. E., Williams, D., and De Deckker, P., (2003) The ecology of living (stained) benthic foraminifera from offshore Kangaroo Island, Australia GSA Annual Meeting, Seattle, Washington, November. 2003 GSA Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 35, No. 7, p. 416.

P?rez, M.E., Rathburn, A. E., Martin, J. B., Day, S., Mahn, C., Gieskes, J., Ziebis, W., Levin, L. A., Williams, D., Bahls, A., (2003) Benthic foraminifera from methane seeps in Monterey Bay: Ecology, stable isotopic composition, and relation to biogeochemistry. GSA Annual Meeting, Seattle, Washington, November.

Abriani, M.A., Rathburn, A.E., Perez, M.E., and DeDeckker, P., Microhabitat preferences of benthic foraminifera from Australia's Murray submarine canyon group. 2004 Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, November 2004, Denver, CO. 2004 GSA Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 36, No. 5, p. 296.

Bahls, Amanda S., Rathburn, Anthony E., Perez, M. Elena, 2004. Benthic Foraminiferal Responses to Seasonal and Spatial Changes in Organic Input Within the Southern California Bight, 2004 American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, December 2004, San Francisco, CA.

Williams, D., Rathburn, A. E., Perez, M. E., Smith, C.R., and Baco-Taylor, A.R (2004) The Ecology of Living (Rose-Bengal-stained) Benthic Foraminifera Associated with Whale Falls off the Coast of California. North-Central Section (38th) GSA Annual Meeting, St. Louis (April, 2004).

Wrightsman, B., Jellinek, T., Rathburn, A., Kluesner, J., Adamic, J., Swanson, K. and De Deckker, P., (2004) Ostracode assemblages within the Murray Canyon System, Offshore Kangaroo Island, Australia. Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, November 2004, Denver, CO. 2004 GSA Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 36, No. 5, paper number 121-29.

Rathburn, A.E., Levin. L.A., Gieskes, J.M., Ziebis, W., Martin, J.B., Tryon, M.D., Fryer, G.J., McMurtry, G.M., Perez, M.E., Fodrie, J., Bahls. A., Abriani, M., Wrightsman, B., Adamic, J., McMillan, P.A., Neira, C.E., Mendoza, G.F., Leddick, J.E., Do, J., Of Tsunamis and Seafloor Dynamics: Initial Results of Research Off the Aleutian Islands, Alaska. Joint Meeting of the 15th Annual Argonne Symposium and CSUI, November 2004, Chicago, IL, I-5.

Rathburn, A.E., Williams, D., Perez, M.E., Levin. L.A., Gieskes, J.M., Martin, J.B., Ziebis, W., Smith. C. R., Baco, A. R., (2005) INVITED Of dead whales, seeps and benthic foraminifera: Comparisons of the ecology of whale falls and methane seeps on the eastern Pacific Margin Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, October, 2005, Salt Lake City, Utah. paper number 93984; Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 36, No. 3, p. 37.

Kluesner, J., Rathburn, A.E., Perez, M.E., Basak, C., Gieskes, J.M. (2005) INVITED Living (Rose Bengal stained) benthic foraminifera from the Venice Lagoon, Italy. Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, October, 2005, Salt Lake City, Utah. , paper number 96979; Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 37, No. 7, p. 189.

Adamic, J., Kluesner, J., Rathburn, A.E., Perez, M.E., Basak, C.., Levin, L., Gieskes, J.M., Martin, J.B., Ziebis, Tryon, M. (2005) Comparisons of vertical distribution patterns of living (stained) benthic foraminifera from the Aleutian Margin. Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, October, 2005, Salt Lake City, Utah. paper number 97151; Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Vol.37, No 7, p 365.


P?rez, M. E., Rathburn, A. E., Adamic, J. F., Martin, J. B., Gieskes, J., Ziebis, W., Herguera, J.C., Paull, C., 2005. Ecology and stable isotopes of living benthic foraminifera at different methane seeps (Alaskan margin, California margin, Gulf of California): Implications for the fossil record. The Micropalaeontological Society's Foraminifera and Nannofossil Groups Joint Spring Meeting, National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, United Kingdom, June 2005

Wrightsman, B K., Rathburn, A.E., Kluesner, J., (2005), Incorporating Ostracodes into the classroom: 16th Annual Argonne Symposium /CSUI Meeting, November 4th, Argonne National Labs, Chicago, Illinois.

Basak, C., Rathburn, A.E., De Deckker, P., Eggins, S.M., Kluesner, J., Perez, E., Gieskes, J.: (2005), The ecology and geochemistry of benthic foraminifera from the Venice Lagoon, Italy: American Eos Trans. AGU, 86(52), Fall Meet. Suppl., Abstract PP11B-1450.

Kluesner, J.W., Rathburn, A.E., Perez, M.E., Basak, C., Gray, C., Brouillette, E., and Gieskes, J.M., (2006) Responses of living (rose Bengal stained) benthic foraminifera to contaminants in the Venice Lagoon, Italy. Geological Society of America North-Central Section Meeting, April 2006, Akron, Ohio.

Gray, C. J., Rathburn, A.E., Perez, M.E., Kluesner, J.W., Brouillette, E., Basak, C., and Gieskes, J.M., (2006) The microhabitat preferences of living (rose Bengal stained) benthic foraminifera from the Venice Lagoon. Geological Society of America North-Central Section Meeting, April 2006, Akron, Ohio.


Rathburn, A.E., Perez, M.E., Kluesner, Basak, C., J.W.,Gray, C. J., Brouillette, E., and Gieskes, J.M., (2006) Ecological and geochemical responses of living (stained) benthic foraminifera to contamination gradients in the Venice Lagoon. AAAS 87th Annual Pacific Section Meeting, June 18-22, 2006, San Diego, CA. .Proceedings of the American Assoc. for the Advancement of Science, Pacific Division, Vol. 25, Part 1, p. 88.


Brouillette, E., Rathburn, A.E., Perez, M.E., Kluesner, J.W., Gray, C. J., Basak, C., and Gieskes, J.M., (2006) Spatial and temporal comparisons of living benthic foraminifera from the Venice Lagoon, Italy, 2006 Annual Geological Society of America Meeting (22-25 October 2006, Philadelphia).