Sedimentary pigments

Pigments including chlorophylls (Chls), carotenoids, photoprotective compounds and their derivatives, are produced by algae, phototrophic bacteria and aquatic plants and often preserve well in aquatic sediments. In sediment cores, they can yield estimates of past primary production, provide information on aquatic phototroph community composition and indicate depositional and preservation conditions. This article describes the biochemical nature of pigments including their preservation in sedimentary environments, techniques for pigment analysis and a range of paleolimnological applications, including the investigation of eutrophication, atmospheric pollution and climate change (and its impacts). Examples of pigment applications are provided spanning Anthropocene to Holocene and Plio-Pleistocene timescales.