Radiolarians of late early Oligocene age from the Central Kerguelen Plateau exhibit an upsection tendency toward better preservation, higher abundance, and higher diversity. All these faunal characteristics are likely to be linked to cooling during the early Oligocene and a higher productivity of siliceous microplankton. In contrast to the Southern Kerguelen Plateau, the central and Northern Kerguelen Plateau exhibit a temporally decoupled pattern of different productivity proxies. Carbonate dissolution as identified by reduced carbonate accumulation rates and a pronounced hiatus occurred significantly earlier (late Eocene to early Oligocene; Chrons C17n to C11r) (Fig. F2) than the first record of well-preserved and abundant radiolarians (late early Oligocene; Chron C10r). We speculate that the productivity rise on the Central Kerguelen Plateau was first governed by nonsiliceous phytoplankton and was only later dominated by enhanced radiolarian and diatom abundance and preservation.