Color-reflectance measurement of split-core surfaces on board ship during Ocean Drilling Program Leg 162 provided a rapid, sensitive means of characterizing lithologic variability. At Site 983, shipboard spectral reflectance data demonstrated low-frequency oscillations that were driven by variations in carbonate content (Ortiz et al., Chap. 19, this volume). Possible causes for these low-frequency carbonate oscillations include (1) time-dependent changes in oceanic productivity, (2) carbonate dissolution, or (3) carbonate dilution by terrigenous material. We performed a low-resolution paleoproductivity study of the last 1.2 m.y. at Site 983 to determine whether the observed low-frequency carbonate variations were related to changes in productivity. Total organic carbon, percent carbonate, excess barium (denoted as Ba[ex]), and a suite of major and minor geochemical elements were used to accomplish this task.