Fe. Clark et al., DISTRIBUTION OF HOLOCENE BENTHIC FORAMINIFERA FROM THE TROPICAL SOUTHWEST PACIFIC-OCEAN, Journal of foraminiferal research, 24(4), 1994, pp. 241-267
A suite of 62 surface and near surface samples has been examined for i
ts benthic foraminiferal faunas, The cores sampled ranged from 110 to
8900 m water depth, and are distributed across the tropical southwest
pacific Ocean, north and east of Australia, A total of 606 species wer
e identified, Census data was obtained for each sample, and species fo
und in statistically significant fractional abundances (88 in all) wer
e analyzed using a new Q-mode clustering algorithm (Error Weighted Max
imum Likelihood [EWML]), Both the fun data set, and an edited data set
comprising 44 samples and 39 species, were analyzed. With the aid of
these analyses, ten benthic foraminiferal assemblages were identified,
Three manually constrained assemblages, each represented by a single
sample, were recognized, namely tbe Bolivina dilatata-Siphouvigerina i
nterrupda Assemblage, the Cymbaloporetta squammosa-Brizalina abbreviat
a Assemblage, and the Brizalina beyrichi-Melonis barleeanum Assemblage
, Five statistically constrained assemblages were recognized, each hav
ing a water depth range coincident with the range for known wafer mass
es of the region, The Astrononion echolsi-Cassidulina teretis Assembla
ge and the Nuttallides bradyanus Assemblage were developed in samples
from depths bathed by waters of the Deep Oxygen Minimum, the Epistomin
ella exigua-Globocassidulina rarilocula Assemblage was developed in sa
mples from depths bathed by Deep Water, a derivative of Antarctic Bott
om Water, and both the Globocassidulina subglobosa-Pseudoparrella parc
a Assemblage and the Nuttallides umboniferus Assemblage were developed
in samples from depths bathed by Antarctic Bottom Water proper, From
depths very near the calcite compensation depth (CCD), a Mixed Calcare
ous/ Agglutinated Abyssal Assemblage was developed in a pair of sample
s, whereas below the CCD, the tenth assemblage, the Abyssal Agglutinat
ed Assemblage, was developed, with only a few corroded calcareous spec
imens accompanying the agglutinated benthic faunas, These latter two a
ssemblages were also manually constrained,