FORAMINIFERA IN WINYAH BAY AND NORTH INLET MARSHES, SOUTH-CAROLINA - RELATIONSHIP TO LOCAL POLLUTION SOURCES

South Carolina has an extensive, low-lying coastal plain system which has not been investigated for Recent benthic foraminifera. Grab sample s collected in the Intracoastal Waterway/Winyah Bay (a highly polluted estuarine system) and nearshore localities show the effects of combin ed organic matter pollution and high riverine discharge. Typical estua rine assemblages appear to be displaced offshore as a result of these effects, Benthic foraminiferal assemblages in samples from transects i n nearby North Inlet marsh do not appear to be affected by the pollute d waters from Winyah Bay.