Benthic foraminiferal assemblages and environmental drivers along the Kveithola Trough (NW Barents Sea)

We describe the population density, biodiversity and vertical distribution in the sediment of benthic foraminifera, and their relationship to environmental parameters, in the Kveithola Trough (NW Barents Sea). Two staining methods, Cell Tracker Green (CTG) and Rose Bengal (RB), were used to distingu...

Full description

Saved in:

Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Journal of marine systems 2021-12, Vol.224, p.103616, Article 103616
Main Authors:	Caridi, F., Sabbatini, A., Bensi, M., Kovačević, V., Lucchi, R.G., Morigi, C., Povea, P., Negri, A.
Format:	Article
Language:	eng
Subjects:	Arctic Benthic foraminifera Cell tracker green Geochemistry Oceanography Sedimentology
Online Access:	Get full text
Tags:	Add Tag No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!

Description
Summary:	We describe the population density, biodiversity and vertical distribution in the sediment of benthic foraminifera, and their relationship to environmental parameters, in the Kveithola Trough (NW Barents Sea). Two staining methods, Cell Tracker Green (CTG) and Rose Bengal (RB), were used to distinguish between living and dead tests. CTG proved to be more effective than RB, and we therefore used this approach to document faunal assemblage variability along a transect of the Trough. The outer shelf shows a diverse benthic foraminiferal assemblage suggesting an oxygenated and oligotrophic environment. The central part appears to be a disturbed area due to rapid circulation changes and organic matter burial in sediments where opportunistic foraminifera colonize only the first centimetres. In contrast, the inner part of the Trough seems to be a stressed environment where species associated with organic-rich sediment and oxygen-depleted environments dominate the living assemblage. At all sites, delicate monothalamids species form part of the assemblage. The peculiar geomorphological and environmental conditions of this area, and the high regional primary and secondary production, are key drivers of foraminiferal assemblage distribution. •This work analyses the living benthic foraminifera of the Kveithola Trough.•The peculiar conditions shape the living benthic foraminiferal structure.•Faunal distribution varies along the longitudinal transect of the area.•The main determining factor in the diversity is the organic matter concentration.•CTG method is appropriate to document the vitality of foraminifera in this area.
ISSN:	0924-7963 1879-1573 1879-1573