Late Pleistocene and Holocene stratigraphic distributions of calcareous nannofossils have been investigated in seven short cores raised from four major ridges in the Arctic Basin and in one core from the Norwegian Sea. Observed assemblages in the Arctic Ocean cores mostly represent the influence of Atlantic shallow waters. On the Gakkel and Lomonosov Ridges, a distinct cross-over in abundance occurs between Emiliania huxleyi and Gephyrocapsa spp. in the upper part of Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3. The lowest abundances of indigenous calcareous nannofossils occur in the southern Mendeleev Ridge core and in the two Alpha Ridge cores. These areas show a minor production of calcareous nannoplankton, probably because of the progressively diminishing influence of shallow Atlantic waters with the increasing distance from the Fram Strait gateway, the key conduit of shallow water inflow to the Arctic Ocean. It remains unknown whether or not the observed abundance patterns have been modified by glacial-interglacial scale changes in preservation. Obvious reworking becomes intensified around MIS boundaries. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.