Quick
Search: 		  
advanced search
 GSW Home   GeoRef Home   My GSW Alerts   Contact GSW   About GSW   Journals List   Help 
Bulletin de la Societe Geologique de France Email Content Delivery
JOURNAL HOME HELP CONTACT PUBLISHER SUBSCRIBE ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Bulletin de la Societe Geologique de France; March-April 2009; v. 180; no. 2; p. 131-144; DOI: 10.2113/gssgfbull.180.2.131
© 2009 Societe Geologique de France
This Article
Right arrow Résumé
Right arrow Figures Only
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by du Chatelet, E. A.
Right arrow Articles by Debenay, J.-P.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
GeoRef
Right arrow GeoRef Citation

Distribution of living benthic foraminifera in relation with environmental variables within the Aiguillon cove (Atlantic coast, France): improving knowledge for paleoecological interpretation

Eric Armynot du Chatelet1, Delphine Degre2, Pierre-Guy Sauriau2 and Jean-Pierre Debenay3

1 UMR Géosystèmes, U.F.R. des Sciences de la Terre, Bâtiment SN5, Université Lille I, 59655 Villeneuve d’Ascq cedex, France. eric.armynot{at}univ-lille1.fr
2 Centre de recherche sur les Ecosystèmes Littoraux Anthropisés (CRELA UMR 6217 CNRS-IFREMER-Univ. de la Rochelle), Place du Séminaire, BP5, 17137 L’Houmeau. delphine.degre{at}ifremer.fr, pierre-guy.souriau{at}ifremer.fr
3 IRD, UR055 "Paléotropique", BPA5, 98848 Nouméa cedex, Nouvelle-Calédonie. jean-pierre.debenay{at}noumea.ird.nc

Search for bioindicators in marine environments has provided new tools for monitoring global and local natural changes. Among these tools, benthic foraminifera play a central role. More accurate paleogeographical and paleoecological reconstructions become possible on the basis of the ecology of recent foraminifera. Nevertheless, factors acting on foraminiferal assemblages are still partially understood. The aim of this study is to correlate the distribution patterns of living (stained) benthic foraminifera with environmental variables such as tidal elevation, interstitial pore water salinity, organic matter content of the sediment, pheopigments, chlorophyll a, carbonate contents and grain size distribution of the sediment from 86 samples collected in the Aiguillon cove (France). In this paralic environment, sediment grain size, salinity and tidal elevation are fundamental factors that drive the distribution of the most abundant species i.e. Brizalina variabilis, Cribroelphidium excavatum and Haynesina germanica. Organic matter also influences the distribution patterns of benthic foraminifera: the relative abundance of Ammonia tepida is typically favored by an increase of total organic matter food resources. Chlorophyll a and pheopigments, as indicators of organic matter quality however may not be limiting in the proportion present in the Aiguillon cove. Carbonate proportions do not limit benthic foraminifera of the Aiguillon cove essentially with carbonaceous shells.

Key Words: Live benthic foraminifera • Distribution patterns • Tidal elevation • Organic matter • Phytopigments • Grain size distribution • Carbonate • Aiguillon cove • Atlantic coast • France • CCA






JOURNAL HOME HELP CONTACT PUBLISHER SUBSCRIBE ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 2009 by Societe Geologique de France