Recent foraminiferal assemblages from the continental shelf sediments of Madras, Bay of Bengal

Abstract

During the 15th cruise of INS Kistna, as part of the International Indian Ocean Expedition, several sub-surface samples were collected, (using LaFond-Dietz snapper), from the continental shelf region of the Bay of Bengal. Samples from two locations, one of which is from the near middle shelf (sta. no. 381, at Lat. 13~'05'N 80~'24'E) at 46 m depth, and the other from the edge of the continental shelf (sta. no. 353 at Lat. 13~'06'N 80~'34'E) at a depth of 183 m, are considered here. They represent two distinct sedimentological environments (i.e. augite-rich and augite-poor zones). The purpose of this study is to evaluate the foraminiferal fauna, its content, its diversity, relationships of species in the environment, their zoogeographical provenance and also some of the major characteristics of a few species encountered