<smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceName"><smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceType"><smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="country-region"><smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"> Benthic foraminiferal responses to bottom water characteristics in the Palk Bay, off Rameswaram, southeast coast of India </smarttagtype></smarttagtype></smarttagtype></smarttagtype>

Abstract

<smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceName"><smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceType"><smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"> Recent benthic foraminiferal assemblages from the shallow shelf sediments of the Palk Bay, off Rameswaram were studied qualitatively and quantitatively. The study revealed that the microfaunal assemblage consisting of 108 benthic foraminiferal species belonging to 50 genera of 27 families. Various bottom water parameters were determined and correlated with the foraminiferal population and seasonal distribution of living population was evaluated. The ecology and distribution of eight widespread and abundant foraminiferal species of the study area viz. <i style="">Spiroloculina communis, Quinqueloculina seminulum, Triloculina insignis, T. trigonula, Ammonia beccarii, A. tepida, Pararotalia nipponica </i>and<i style=""> Osangularia venusta</i> were discussed in detail. Increase in temperature, salinity and dissolved oxygen content of the bottom water were observed as favourable factors promoting the abundance of living population in the study area. </smarttagtype></smarttagtype></smarttagtype>