Foraminifera of the Fal Estuary (Cornwall), including taxa associated with maerl beds
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2015Author
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The Fal Estuary (Cornwall) contains a nationally important accumulation of calcareous red seaweeds commonly referred to as maerl. Maerl beds are often associated with high benthic diversity but there has been little research done on their associated microfaunas. This investigation has studied the foraminifera that are found within samples of maerl and the adjacent sediments. Our samples were preserved and then stained with rose Bengal, in order to ascertain the 'living' (stained) assemblage of foraminifera. Only <1% of the taxa associated with the maerl appeared to be living at the time of collection in October 2012, and the assemblage of foraminifera was a mixture of taxa that are characteristic of open marine environments and those characteristic of estuarine and sea grass communities. The presence of pelagic ostracods and centric diatoms supports the notion that at least some of the high foraminiferal diversity reported from the maerl assemblages is the result of transported material trapped within the intricate maerl habitat. Foraminifera from other areas of the Fal Estuary are typical of saltmarsh, estuarine and near-shore marine assemblages reported elsewhere in South-West England.
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