Foraminiferal abundance in the modified marine environment of Cola Bay region of Goa

Abstract

In recent, years, the most important problem that affects the modern foraminifera particularly their abundance, tolerance level, distribution and their adaptation from natural environment to a modified environment is caused by pollution. Clacareous perforate foraminifera are found to be very abundant over all other types in the living populations. In the Cola Bay region of Goa, where the marine environment is affected by the industrial effluents, the foraminiferal distribution shows that @iAmmonia beccarii@@ and its variants, @iFlorilus scaphus, F. boueanum, Elphidium crispum@@ and @iPararotalia@@ sp. are very abundant; @iAmmonia dentata, Cibicides pseudoungarianus, Elphidium poyeaunum, Calcarina calcar, Quinqueloculina seminulum@@ are common and @iBrizalina striatula, Gavelinopsis complanata, Gyroidinoides@@ sp. are rare. Many of these species are related to high organic carbon content present in the sediment