Dr Martin Pearce
B.Sc. (Hons) M.Sc. Ph.D.

Palaeo⁷ LLP Designated Partner Representative

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Martin is a palynologist specialising in the biostratigraphy and palaeoenvironmental significance of dinoflagellate cysts (dinocysts) from the Upper Triassic to Quaternary.  In 1996, he was awarded an M.Sc. in micropalaeontology from University College London (specialising in Late Triassic palynology with Prof. Bill Chaloner (FRS) and Prof. Alan Lord) and subsequently chose to research the biostratigraphy and palaeoenvironmental significance of dinocysts from the UK Late Cretaceous for his Ph.D. at Kingston University, London.  On completion of his doctorate, Martin joined Millennia Stratigraphic Consultants where he routinely worked on single and multi-well studies from the Quaternary to Triassic internationally, including well-site assignments on the UK Atlantic margin.

In 2004, Martin joined Statoil ASA in Norway, where he worked for almost 10 years as a principle biostratigrapher, on routine and research-based biostratigraphic projects, working closely with exploration assets and basin modellers.  He was also Statoil's lead biostratigrapher for the 19th and 20th exploration licensing round applications.  In addition to routine biostratigraphic support, Martin also worked on a number of special projects including palaeoenvironmental reconstructions using statistically modelled dinoflagellate cyst assemblages, research into thepalaeoenvironmental significance of megaspores and their Lower Jurassic biostratigraphy, palaeoenvironmental interpretations using sporomorph ecological groupings, and the generation of optimal sequences of bioevents using Ranking and Scaling software.  He also generated a procedure to automatically recalculate bioevent ages with the introduction of new Global Time Scales.  In 2008, Martin volunteered to be the sole wellsite biostratigrapher on the 5-week Statoil-led Kanumas Group shallow coring expedition of the offshore NE Greenland margin.  In 2010, he accepted a two and a half year assignment to Statoil's Houston office to assist the exploration effort in the Gulf of Mexico (primarily involving the interpretation of nanno- and micropalaeontological data).  During this time he became the principle contact for biostratigraphic support for the Alaska asset.

In 2018, Martin officially assembled his team of closest associates as the lead partner of Palaeo⁷ LLP.  

Martin has officially supervised students at Ph.D. level with two successfully completed and one in progress, and has assisted numerous other M.Sc. and Ph.D. students in the UK, Germany, Holland and Poland.  He has (co)written 27 papers on most aspects of dinocyst biostratigraphy and palaeoecology (including 2 encyclopedia entries), is a reviewer of palynology-based manuscripts for 6 international journals.  In addition he was Cenozoic and Mesozoic palynology editor for the Journal of Micropalaeontology (The Micropalaeontological Society) for six years, and was a contributor to the NORLEX project (Norwegian Interactive Offshore Stratigraphic Lexicon) and the DARWIN Azolla Project (University of Utrecht, The Netherlands).  He is also a recipient of the Charles Downie Award from The Micropalaeontologial Society.

His current research interests include the Turonian / Coniacian boundary of Salzgitter / Salder (Germany) in collaboration with the University of Warsaw and Kingston University; the Santonian / Campanian candidate GSSP in Poland in collaboration with the AGH University of Science & Technology Kraków and the Oceanic Anoxic Event 1 from the Cau Core (Spain) in collaboration with Kingston University.

    

 

Norwegian Continental Shelf Experience

Analytical experience of the Triassic to Quaternary palynology from the Norwegian North Sea and Norwegian-Greenland Sea, blocks: 15/6, 26/10, 30/6, 33/2, 34/6, 34/7, 34/10, 6405/12, 6406/1, 6407/8, 6507/7 and 6507/8

Considerable experience on a very wide range of projects involving the integrated biostratigraphy of almost 200 additional wells from the Åsgard, Aasta Hansteen, Dvalin, Gina Krog, Gullfaks, Heidrun, Kristin, Maria, Marulk, Morvin, Orman Lange, Oseberg, Skarv, Smørbrukk Sør, Trestakk, Tyrihans and Vigdis fields; and exploration wells from the 30/6, 34/8, 34/10*, 35/3 & 6, 36/1 & 4, 6201/11, 6204/10 & 11, 6205/3, 6302/6, 6305/1, 9 & 12, 6306/5 & 10, 6403/6 & 10, 6404/11, 6405/7 & 10, 6406/1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11 & 12, 6407/4, 6504/5, 6505/10, 6506/1, 3, 6, 11 & 12, 6507/2, 8 & 10, 6605/8, 6607/2, 5 & 12, 6610/3, 6704/12, 6706/1 & 6, 6706/11 blocks (*incl. 55 well, megaspore study)

 

Publications

Barke, J., van der Burgh, J., van Konijnenburg-van Cittert, J.H.A., Collinson, M.E., Pearce, M.A., Bujak, J., Lotter, A.F & Brinkhuis, H., 2012. Coeval Eocene blooms of multiple species of the freshwater fern in and around the Arctic and Nordic seas.  Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 337–328: 108–119.

Folkestad, A, Skar, T & Pearce, M.A., 2012. Using Sedimentology, Biostratigraphy and Tectonics to Interpret a Complex Rift-Graben: The Middle-Late Jurassic South Viking Graben, North Sea. AAPG Annual Convention and Exhibition, April 22–25, 2012, Long Beach, California.

Folkestad, A., Odinson, T., Fossen, H. & Pearce, M.A., 2014.  Middle Jurassic tectonic activity in the northern North Sea and its influence on the depositional environment of the Brent Group. Int. Assoc. Sedimentol. Spec. Publ., 46: 389–416.

Forshaw, J., Jarvis, I., Trabucho-Alexandre, J., Tocher, B.A. & Pearce, M.A., 2014. The Eagle Ford Shale, Texas: an initial insight into Late Cretaceous organic-rich mudrock palaeoenvironments. Geophysical Research Abstracts 16, EGU2014-7217.

Gale, A., Thibault, N., Petrizzo, M.P., Erba, E., Coccioni, R., Voigt, S., Wagreich, M., Kennedy, J., Walaszczyk, I., Dubicka, Z., Maron, M., Muttoni, G., Jarvis, I., Pearce, M.A., Jurkowska, A., proposal accepted by the IUGS. Formal proposal for the Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) of the Campanian Stage at Bottaccione (Gubbio, Italy) and its auxiliary sections.

Gale, A.S., Batenburg, S., Coccioni, R., Dubicka, Z., Erba, E., Falzoni, F., Haggart, J., Hasegawa, T., Ifrim, C., Jarvis, I., Jenkyns, H., Jurkowska, A., Kennedy, W.J., Maron, M., Muttoni, G., Pearce, M., Petrizzo, M.R., Premoli-Silva, I., Thibault, N., Voigt, S., Wagreich, M., Walaszczyk, I., 2023. The Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) of the Campanian Stage at Bottaccione (Gubbio, Italy) and its auxiliary sections (Seaford Head, U.K.), Bocieniec (Poland), Postalm (Austria), Smoky Hill, Kansas (U.S.A.) and Tepayac (Mexico). Episodes.

Jarvis, I., Gale, A.S., Jenkyns, H.C. & Pearce, M.A., 2006.  Secular variation in Late Cretaceous carbon isotopes:  a new δ13C carbonate reference curve for the Cenomanian–Campanian (99.6–70.6 Ma).  Geological Magazine, 143: 561–608.

Jarvis, I., Lignum, J., Gröcke, D. & Pearce, M., 2011. Black shale deposition, atmospheric CO2 drawdown and cooling during the Cenomanian–Turonian Oceanic Anoxic Event (OAE2). Palaeoceanography, 26, PA3201: 1–17.

Jarvis, I., Pearce, M.A., Ball, P. & Laurin, J., 2019. Developing a new dinocyst biostratigraphy for NW Europe: integrating Cenomanian – lowest Campanian (Upper Cretaceous) carbon-isotope events and palynology of the Trunch borehole (Norfolk, England). Geophysical Research Abstracts 21, EGU2019-9142.

Jarvis, I., Lignum, J., Pearce, M.A., Tocher, B., Gröcke, D., & Jenkyns, H., 2010. The Cenomanian–Turonian boundary event (Late Cretaceous): marine productivity and climate change during OAE2. 18th International Sedimentological Congress - Mendoza, Argentina, 2010.

Jarvis, I., Pearce, M., Püttmann, T., Voigt, S., Walaszczyk, I., 2021. Palynology and calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphy of the Turonian - Coniacian boundary: The proposed boundary stratotype at Salzgitter-Salder, Germany and its correlation in NW Europe. Cretaceous Research, 123.

Jarvis, I., Pearce, M.A., Monkenbusch, J., Jurkowska, A., Ullmann, C.V., Dubicka, Z., Thibault, N., in press. Carbon isotopes, palynology and stratigraphy of the Santonian – Campanian boundary: the GSSP auxiliary sections, Seaford Head (England) and Bocieniec (Poland), and correlation between the Boreal and Tethyan realms. Cretaceous Research.

Lignum, J., Jarvis, I. & Pearce, M.A., 2007.  A critical assessment of standard processing methods for the preparation of palynological samples. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 149: 133–149.

Morris, P.H., Cullum, A.A., Pearce, M.A. & Batten, D.J. 2009. Megaspore assemblages from the Åre Formation (Rhaetian–Pliensbachian) of the Haltenbanken Region, mid-Norway, and their value as field and regional stratigraphical markers. Journal of Micropalaeontology, 28: 1–22.

Nøhr-Hansen, H., Costa, L.I., Pearce, M.A. & Alsen, P., 2018.  New Albian to Cenomanian dinoflagellate cyst taxa of ovoidinioid affinities from East Greenland, Barents Sea and England. Palynology, 42: 366–391.

Olde, K., Jarvis, I., Pearce, M.A., Uličný, D., Tocher, B.A., Gröcke, D. & Trabucho-Alexandre, J., 2015. A revised northern European Turonian (Upper Cretaceous) dinoflagellate cyst biostratigraphy: integrating palynology and carbon isotope events. Review of Palynology and Palaeobotany, 213: 1–16.

Olde, K., Jarvis, I., Pearce, M.A., Walaszczyk, I. & Tocher, B., 2016.  Organic-walled dinoflagellate cyst records from a prospective Turonian-Coniacian (Upper Cretaceous) GSSP, Słupia Nadbrzeżna, Poland.  Cretaceous Research, 65: 17–24.

Olde, K., Jarvis, I., Uličný, D., Pearce, M.A., Trabucho-Alexandre, J., Čech, S., Gröcke, D., Laurin, J., Švábenická, L. & Tocher, B.A., 2015.  Geochemical and palynological sea-level proxies in hemipelagic sediments: a critical assessment from the Late Cretaceous of the Czech Republic. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 435: 222–243.

Pearce, M.A., 2001.  Dinoflagellate-cyst analysis.  In: (Matthews, J. A. et al., eds) The Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Environmental Change. (1st edition), Arnold, London, 690 pp.

Pearce, M.A., 2010. New organic-walled dinoflagellate cysts from the Cenomanian to Maastrichtian of the Trunch borehole, UK. Journal of Micropalaeontology, 29: 51–72.

Pearce, M.A., 2014. Dinoflagellate-cyst analysis.  In: (Matthews, J.A. et al., eds) The Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Environmental Change. (2nd edition). Sage Publications, London and California.

Pearce, M.A., 2018. Additional new organic-walled dinoflagellate cysts from two onshore UK Chalk boreholes.  Journal of Micropalaeontology, 37: 73–86.

Pearce, M.A. & Williams, G.L., 2018.  Fetchamium prolixispinosum gen. et comb. nov. (Division Dinoflagellata). Journal of Micropalaeontology, 37: 17–20.

Pearce, M.A., Jarvis, I. & Tocher, B.A. 2009.  The Cenomanian–Turonian boundary event, OAE2 and palaeoenvironmental change in epicontinental seas: new insights from the dinocyst and geochemical records. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 280: 207–234.

Pearce, M.A. & Lignum, J.S. & Jarvis, I., 2011. Senoniasphaera turonica (Prössl, 1990 ex Prössl, 1992) comb. nov., senior synonym of Senoniasphaera rotundata alveolata Pearce et al., 2003: an important dinocyst marker for the Lower Turonian chalk of NW Europe. Journal of Micropalaeontology, 30: 91–93.

Pearce, M.A., Stickley, C.E. & Johansen, L.M., 2019. Chatangiella islae and Trithyrodinium zakkii, new species of peridinioid dinoflagellate cysts (Family Deflandreoideae) from the Coniacian and Campanian (Upper Cretaceous) of the Norwegian Sea. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 271.

Pearce, M.A., Jarvis, I., Ball, P. & Laurin, J., 2020. Palynology of the Cenomanian to lowermost Campanian (Upper Cretaceous) Chalk of the Trunch Borehole (Norfolk, UK) and a new dinoflagellate cyst bioevent stratigraphy for NW Europe. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 278, 77 pp.

Pearce, M.A., Jarvis I., Swan A.R.H., Murphy, A.M., Tocher, B.A., Edmunds, W.M., 2003.  Integrating palynological and geochemical data in a new approach to paleoecological studies: Upper Cretaceous of the Banterwick Barn Chalk borehole, Berkshire, UK. Marine Micropalaeontology, 47: 271–306.

Pearce, M.A., Jarvis, I., Monkenbusch, J., Thibault, N., Ullmann, C.V., Martinez, M., in press. Coniacian – Campanian palynology, carbon isotopes and clay mineralogy of the Poigny borehole (Paris Basin) and its correlation in NW Europe. Comptes Rendus Geosciences.

Prince, I.M., Jarvis, I., Pearce, M.A. & Tocher, B.A. 2008.  Dinoflagellate cyst biostratigraphy of the Coniacian–Santonian (Upper Cretaceous): new data from the English Chalk. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 150: 59–96.

Radmacher, W., Niezgodzki, I., Tyszka, J., Mangerud, G. & Pearce, M.A., 2020. Palynology vs. model simulation: oceanographic reconstruction of incomplete data from the Cretaceous Greenland–Norwegian Seaway. Newsletters on Stratigraphy, 53: 93-120.

Radmacher, W., Tyszka, J., Mangerud, G. & Pearce, M.A., 2014. Dinoflagellate cyst biostratigraphy of the Late Albian to Early Maastrichtian in the southwestern Barents Sea. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 57: 109–121.

Radmacher, W., Pérez-Rodríguez, I., Arz, J.A. & Pearce, M.A., 2014. Dinoflagellate cysts at the Campanian / Maastrichtian boundary in Zumaia, northern Spain. Cretaceous Research, 51: 309–320.

van Helmond, N.A.G.M., Sluijs, A., Papadomanolaki, N.M., Plint, A.G., Gröcke, D.R., Pearce, M.A., Eldrett, J.S., Trabucho-Alexandre, J., Walaszczyk, I., van de Schootbrugge, B. & Brinkhuis, H., 2016. Equatorward phytoplankton migration during a cold spell within the Late Cretaceous supergreenhouse. Biogeosciences, 13: 2859–2872.

Voigt, S., Püttmann, T., Mutterlose, J., Bornemann, A., Jarvis, I., Pearce, M.A., Irek Walaszczyk, I., 2020. Reassessment of the Salzgitter‐Salder section as a potential stratotype for the Turonian–Coniacian Boundary: stable carbon isotopes and cyclostratigraphy constrained by nannofossils and palynology. Newsletters on Stratigraphy.

Walaszczyk, I., Čech, S., Crampton, J., Dubicka, Z., Ifrim, C., Jarvis, I., Lees, J., Lodowski, D., Pearce, M., Peryt, D., Schiøler, P., Todes, J., Uličný, D., Voigt, S., Wiese, F., 2021. The Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) for the base of the Coniacian Stage (Salzgitter-Salder, Germany) and its auxiliary sections (Słupia Nadbrzeżna, central Poland; Střeleč, Czech Republic; and El Rosario, NE Mexico). Episodes.

Williams, G.L., Brinkhuis, H., Pearce, M.A., Fensome, R.A. & Weegink, W., 2004.  Southern Ocean and global dinoflagellate cyst events compared: index events for the Late Cretaceous–Neogene. In: (Exon et al., eds) Scientific Results ODP Leg 189, College Station.