Hemipelagic and Pelagic Basin Plains - Trace Fossils as Indicators of Sedimentary Environments - page 672

FIGURE 11 Bioturbation and trace fossils in bottom-current-affected settings; POM, particulate
organic matter ( after Wetzel et al., 2008 , slightly altered ) .
a relief on the sea floor, exhibit a pronounced abundance ( Aller and Aller, 1986 ).
Similarly, in many organism groups, taxa that can enter the sediment occur more
abundantly than at tranquil sites ( Thistle et al., 1985 : 103).
The high-trophic mode of bioturbation in contourite settings results in an
enhanced rate of burrow production, a distinct depth of bioturbation and a spe-
cialized behavior. In contrast to numerous deep-sea biological studies, there are
only few detailed investigations of bioturbation and ichnofabrics, such as those