CHEREPANOVA M.V.
Issues of modern algology 2025; 37(1): 337-341
The environmental changes in the northwestern Japan Sea during the 21,0 ka were reconstructed from diatom data. A slight increase in the percentage of sublittoral benthic species indicates a decrease in sea level from 21,0 to 16,6 ka, which corresponds to the Last Glacial Maximum. The low sea level resulted in different patterns of marine circulation and coastal currents directions, compared to modern conditions. The high percentage of sublittoral planktonic diatoms reflects the gradual rise in sea level during the B?lling and Younger Dryas. The increase in oceanic diatom proportions during the Holocene indicates an influx of Pacific waters through both the Tsushima and Tsugaru Straits. During warming periods, an increase in relatively warm-water oceanic diatoms was observed. These studies have demonstrated a clear response of diatoms to climate and sea level changes during the Late Pleistocene and Holocene.
