Foraminifera may structure meiobenthic communities

The cosmopolitan benthic foraminiferan, Ammonia beccarii, is a fervent microfloral predator which often forms densely-populated 2–4 cm² aggregates in the field. Sediments within aggregate patches become extensively pelletized, mucus bound and depleted in microfloral food. On a West German Wattenmeer mudflat, copepodite and naupliar densities of a predominant harpacticoid copepod, Amphiascoides limicola, were significantly depressed in sediments containing>100 A. beccarii·3 cm^-2 suggesting a possible foraminiferal: copepod amensalism. Therefore, I cultured A. beccarii and A. limicola separately in sediment microcosms and then tested if A. limicola's seemingly negative reaction to sediments containing A. beccarii occurs under controlled conditions, how various life stages of A. limicola are affected, and what the repulsive mechanisms of A. beccarii may be. In natural field sediments seeded with a latin-square dispersion of sterile sediment patches containing 0 or 100 A. beccarii, mean A. limicola naupliar and copepodite densities were 2 to 6 times lower in Ammonia-rich patches than Ammonia-poor patches (i.e. patches containing <100 A. beccarii·3 cm^-2). Choice experiments directly testing potential A. beccarii inhibitory mechanisms were conducted with A. limicola copepodites: Cubic microcosms containing a latin-square patch dispersion of (1) sterile sediments (SS) seeded with 100 A. beccarii (low microflora), (2) SS bound with sterile mucus (0.0001%) (low microflora), (3) SS seeded with pelletized sediments (high microflora), and (4) SS seeded with mucus and pellets (high microflora), showed that copepodites colonized 12 & 3, but 1 & 4 were not significantly different. Mucus addition by itself, in the absence of pelletization and microflora, strongly facilitated colonization—as did addition of microfloral-rich pelletized sediments. Pelletization and mucousbinding combined, but with low microflora, were least attractive to A. limicola. Pelletization and mucous-binding combined, but with high microflora, were more attractive to A. limicola than its complement, but not significantly so. Thus A. beccarii's inhibition of A. limicola is probably not caused by sediment pelletization and simple mucous exudates but by local microfloral depletion within aggregate foraminiferal patches.Contribution No 774 of the Belle W. Baruch Institute for Marine Biology and Coastal Research     

Calcified structures and calcification in protists

Summary The diversity of calcified structures found in protists, the mechanisms utilized to form these structures, and the role these structures play in the taxonomy and systematics of the protists are presented. The two most frequently studied orders of protists which produce calcified structures, the coccolithophorids and foraminifera, are featured. However, consideration is given to the less known and least studied organisms.     

Thalassomermis megamphis n. gen., n. sp. (Mermithidae: Nemata) from the Bathyal South Atlantic Ocean

Thalassomermis megamphis n. gen., n. sp. (Mermithidae: Nemata) was extracted from sediment collected off the coast of Brazil at a depth of approximately 1,000 m. Although the food of this new nematode is unknown, the reduction of the stoma and esophagus and presence of a trophosome indicate that it is parasitic in its juvenile stages. Thalassomermis megaraphis n. gen., n. sp. is assigned to Mermithidae because of its similarity to that family in the appearance of the cephalic sensory receptors, the long and tubular vagina, and copulatory muscles of the male extending posteriorly throughout most of the length of the tail. Thalassomermis megamphis n. gen., n. sp. differs from all other members of Mermithidae by the large, lenticular, intracuticular amphidial fovea with coiled, emergent terminal filaments as well as the small amphidial aperture situated over the center of the fovea.     

Protist diversity and function in the dark ocean – Challenging the paradigms of deep-sea ecology with special emphasis on foraminiferans and naked protists

The dark ocean and the underlying deep seafloor together represent the largest environment on this planet, comprising about 80% of the oceanic volume and covering more than two-thirds of the Earth's surface, as well as hosting a major part of the total biosphere. Emerging evidence suggests that these vast pelagic and benthic habitats play a major role in ocean biogeochemistry and represent an “untapped reservoir” of high genetic and metabolic microbial diversity. Due to its huge volume, the water column of the dark ocean is the largest reservoir of organic carbon in the biosphere and likely plays a major role in the global carbon budget. The dark ocean and the seafloor beneath it are also home to a largely enigmatic food web comprising little-known and sometimes spectacular organisms, mainly prokaryotes and protists. This review considers the globally important role of pelagic and benthic protists across all protistan size classes in the deep-sea realm, with a focus on their taxonomy, diversity, and physiological properties, including their role in deep microbial food webs. We argue that, given the important contribution that protists must make to deep-sea biodiversity and ecosystem processes, they should not be overlooked in biological studies of the deep ocean.     

Ecosystem indicators: Foraminifera,Thecamoebians and Diatoms from the Ologe Lagoon,Nigeria

The Ologe Lagoon in southwestern Nigeria is a natural habitat located closely to both residential and industrial estates. The lagoon is heavily affected by effluents of agricultural and industrial runoff including organochlorine compounds and heavy metals (chloropesticides, DDT and polychlorinated biphenyls, cadmium, manganese, zinc, copper, lead, iron and nickel). Ologe Lagoon is situated in a semi-isolated position and its brackish waters traverse several creeks and lagoons before it reaches the Atlantic Ocean. The lagoon experiences minor tidal but noticeable salinity and pH variations during the rainy season. During the dry season, however, the waters have a comparatively long resident time where sediments act as sink and aggregate contaminants over time. Investigations on benthic foraminifera, thecamoebian and diatom species were carried out to document the current status, composition, spatial distribution, and response of microfaunal assemblages to environmental stressors within the lagoon. The benthic foraminifer assemblage is composed of four highly specialized agglutinated species of Ammotium salsum, Miliammina fusca, Ammobaculites dilatatus and Ammobaculites aff. A. exiguus. They are present at all sample sites with varying abundances. The high abundance of Ammotium salsum is considered an indication of environmental stress. Thecamoebian species of Difflugia oblonga, Difflugia proteiformis and Pontigulasia compressa were also recorded in varying proportions and generally represent less than one percent of the total foraminifera/thecamoebian assemblage. The presence of marine brackish water larger siliceous diatoms of Actinoptychus and Campylodiscus species indicates an interaction between the lagoon and the marine waters although on the minimal scale with regards to actual salinity ranges. The faunal assemblages recovered are characterized by low species richness and alpha diversity indices and are typical of shallow, marginal-marine hyposaline environments. Numerical abundances and spatial distribution patterns suggest taxon-specific habitat preferences and highlight their potential for environmental monitoring studies.     

Freshwater foraminiferans revealed by analysis of environmental DNA samples

Sediment-dwelling protists are among the most abundant meiobenthic organisms, ubiquitous in all types of aquatic ecosystems. Yet, because their isolation and identification are difficult, their diversity remains largely unknown. In the present work, we applied molecular methods to examine the diversity of freshwater Foraminifera, a group of granuloreticulosan protists largely neglected until now. By using specific PCR primers, we detected the presence of Foraminifera in all sediment samples examined. Phylogenetic analysis of amplified SSU rDNA sequences revealed two distinct groups of freshwater foraminiferans. All obtained sequences branched within monothalamous (single-chambered), marine Foraminifera, suggesting a repeated colonization of freshwater environments. The results of our study challenge the traditional view of Foraminifera as essentially marine organisms, and provide a conceptual framework for charting the molecular diversity of freshwater granuloreticulosan protists.     

Distribution of live benthic Foraminifera at three oceanographically dissimilar sites in the northeast Atlantic: preliminary results

Live (i.e. rose Bengal stained) benthic foraminiferal assemblages in the 0–1 cm layer of multiple core samples were examined at three contrasting sites in the northeast Atlantic as part of the Natural Environment Research Council Deep Ocean Benthic Boundary Layer (BENBO) Thematic Programme. Sites A (3600 m water depth) and C (1900 m) were located in the Rockall Trough while Site B (1100 m) was in the Hatton–Rockall Basin. Wet-sorting sediment residues (>125 m fraction) revealed more abundant (98–190 individuals/10 cm²) and diverse (71–99 species /27 cm²) assemblages than found previously in studies employing dry-sorting techniques. At all three sites, the assemblages were numerically dominated by delicate soft-bodied and agglutinated species, most of which are undescribed. Calcareous taxa formed a relatively small proportion of the assemblages (23% of individuals at Site B, 13% at Site C and 7% at Site A). Conversely, the agglutinated hormosinaceans (mainly Reophax species) became more prominent with increasing depth and accounted for 8% of the assemblage at Site B, 33% at Site C and 51% at Site A. Foraminifera represented 67–81% of the fauna in the samples and greatly outnumbered the metazoans. The assemblage at Site A has similarities with abyssal assemblages, while those at Sites B and C contain characteristic bathyal species. At Site B, Uvigerina peregrina and Melonis barleeanum are abundant, suggesting that there are high organic carbon inputs at this site. Reduced species diversity was observed at Site A following the spring phytodetritus bloom due to the presence of large numbers of juvenile Hoeglundina elegans, although it is not clear whether this species is responding to phytodetritus inputs.     

Rectogerochammina eugubina nov. gen., nov. sp., a new agglutinated foraminifer from the Upper Cretaceous of Gubbio, Italy

We describe the new agglutinated foraminiferal genus and species Rectogerochammina eugubina nov. gen., nov. sp. from the Upper Cretaceous Scaglia Rossa Formation of the Umbria-Marche Basin in Italy. The genus differs from Gerochammina (Neagu, 1990) in the presence of a terminal uniserial part.     

Planktic foraminiferal biostratigraphy of theMaastrichtian sedimentary beds at Ain Mdeker,northeastern Tunisia

Maastrichtian Foraminifera from the sedimentary beds at Ain Mdeker are recorded and identified. The fauna examined is found to be clearly Tethyan in composition. On the basis of this fauna, four planktic foraminiferal zones, the Globotruncana falsostuarti Zone, the Rugotruncana gansseri Zone, the Abathomphalus mayaroensis Zone and the Globotruncana falsocalcarata Zone are distinguished in the Maastrichtian of the sequence studied. These zones are futher compared with the zones established in equivalent strata in the sequence at El Kef, the most complete sequence in Tunisia. In addition to the index species only the biostratigraphically most important species from the fauna studied are illustrated.     

Foraminiferal assemblages and the confinement index as tools for assessment of saline intrusion and human impact in the Mekong Delta and neighbouring areas (Vietnam)

Foraminiferal assemblages have been studied in 33 samples from the Can Gio region to the north of the Mekong Delta and from two regions of the Delta: the Tra Vinh province, in the middle part of the Delta; and the Ca Mau peninsula, to the south. Two plates, including 117 pictures, illustrate the species. These assemblages, either through the nature of the test or through the calculation of the confinement index Ic, clearly indicate differences in the balance between continental and marine influences, the Tra Vinh province being subject to the strongest freshwater influence. The decrease of calcareous specimens and the increase of Ic indicate the impact of deforestation in the Ca Mau peninsula, the influence of organic matter in shrimp ponds, and the impact of pollution in a tidal channel. The distribution of foraminiferal assemblages described in this study should be used as part of a reference point for further observations with a view to assessing environmental impacts of increasing human activities and/or global change.