Foraminiferal assemblages and organic carbon relationship in benthic marine ecosystem of Western Indian Continental Shelf

Abstract

Foraminiferal assemblages in the sediment and their relation to organic carbon have been studied in selected nearshore areas on the west coast, namely, Gulf of Kutch, Bombay-Daman sector, Vengurla-Dabhol sector, Cola Bay and Karwar. Study reveals that Ammobaculites agglutinans (d'Orbigny) and Ammonia spp have positive (direct) tendency towards organic carbon while miliolids (Quinqueloqulina spp, Spiroloculina spp and Triloculina spp Florilus-Nonion and Nonionella spp have negative (inverse) tendency. The coefficient values become significant (at 0.1 level) only for ammobaculites spp at Karwar, miliolids at Bombay-Daman, and for Florilus-Nonion at Karwar and Bombay-Daman areas. Total foraminifera and organic carbon are inversely correlated in the Cola Bay but in Gulf of Kutch, correlation is inconsistent due to very low values (0.138 to 0.529%) of organic carbon. This relationship is further governed by a combination of other environmental factors