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Bathymetric preference of four major genera of rectilinear benthic foraminifera within oxygen minimum zone in Arabian Sea off central west coast of India

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Abstract

Fifty two surface sediment samples collected from the region off Goa, central west coast of India from water depths of 15–3300 m were analyzed with special emphasis on foraminiferal content. Rectilinear benthic foraminiferal morphogroup shows a high relative abundance within Oxygen Minimum Zone (OMZ), both shallow marine (50–60 m water depth) and intermediate to deep water (150–1500 m water depth). We gave special emphasis on four rectilinear foraminiferal genera, namely Fursenkoina, Bolivina, Bulimina and Uvigerina to observe their individual distribution among OMZ. We found genus Fursenkoina predominates at the shallow water OMZ, within the water depth zone of 50–60 m. Within 150–1500 m water depth, which is considered as intermediate to deep water OMZ in this region, genus Uvigerina shows its highest abundance above 1000 m water depth, whereas genus Bulimina shows its affinity with deeper water environment (>1000 m water depth). Genus Bolivina does not show any such depth preference, except its higher abundance in only intermediate to deep water OMZ. This depth differentiation among four rectilinear benthic foraminiferal genera presents the basic data for palaeoclimatic study based on the extent and intensity of OMZ along with the palaeobathymetry study.

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Acknowledgements

The authors express their thanks to the Director, Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany for permission to publish the results. The authors are also thankful to Mrs S M Bhonsle for her help in processing the samples. A M acknowledges the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi for grant.

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  1. Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, 53 University Road, Lucknow, 226 007, India

    ABHIJIT MAZUMDER

  2. National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa, 403 004, India

    RAJIV NIGAM

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MAZUMDER, A., NIGAM, R. Bathymetric preference of four major genera of rectilinear benthic foraminifera within oxygen minimum zone in Arabian Sea off central west coast of India. J Earth Syst Sci 123, 633–639 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12040-014-0419-y

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