Development of the marine Holocene environment in a drowned paleovalley with final anthropic influence in the Cartagena Bay (Murcia, SE Spain)

A sediment core from Cartagena Bay reveals that the Holocene marine environment began around 7300 years ago, marked by dynamic interactions between marine conditions and a fan delta linked to a reorganized fluvial network. The study, using radiocarbon and amino acid racemization dating, shows an initial phase of robust sediment deposition followed by the development of a rich Posidonia-Cymodocea meadow with diverse marine life. Around 3800 years ago, the bay transitioned into a brackish marsh due to silting, altering its biodiversity. Carthaginian port construction works later introduced marine species, demonstrating anthropic influence on the ecosystem.

Torres, T., Ortiz, J. E., Ramallo, S., Ros, M., Sánchez-Palencia, Y., Blázquez, A., Cerezo, F., López-Cilla, I., Galán, L. A., Borrego, Á. G., Ruiz-Zapata, B., José Gil, M., Manteca, I., & Rodríguez-Estrella, T. (2022). Development of the marine Holocene environment in a drowned paleovalley with final anthropic influence in the Cartagena Bay (Murcia, SE Spain). The Holocene, 32(6), 554–568. https://doi.org/10.1177/09596836221080759