Annual Report 2011 of the Paleogene Deep-Water Benthic Foraminifera Working Group.

Following last year´s line of research, we have continued to study the behaviour of deep-sea benthic foraminifera during periods of sedimentary disturbance and global warming, such as the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum and a newly discovered hyperthermal event during the Ypresian (middle Eocene). Much progress is also being made on the recovery of deep-sea benthic foraminiferal assemblages after the Cretaceous/Paleogene impact event, and on integrating the benthic foraminiferal isotope record in the global carbon cycle. Our Working Group will continue to do research on these two topics next year. Important advances on the taxonomy of Paleocene, Eocene and Oligocene deep-sea benthic foraminifera are also being made, and will be discussed in our meeting next year. Finally, the members of our Working Group are organizing the next International Workshop on Agglutinated Foraminifera (IWAF-2012), which will be held in Zaragoza (Spain) from the 3rd to the 7th of September 2012 (have a look at the first circular!). Our Working Group will have a chance to meet during the first day of the meeting. A two-day field excursion has been scheduled for the last 2 days of the Workshop (6-7th Sept). We will visit the picturesque Basque-Cantabrian basin (Northern Spain and Southern France), where some of the best and world-famous Paleogene flysch deposits (including 3 GSSPs!) are exposed. During the fieldtrip, all the attendants will have the opportunity to study Upper Cretaceous to middle Eocene sediments and to pick up samples where they´ll find plenty of deep-water benthic foraminifera. And last but not least, we will all enjoy the breath-taking landscape and amazing food… see you in Zaragoza in 2012!

Report by Secretary: Laia Alegret, Spain.