ECOLOGY AND TAPHONOMY OF BENTHIC FORAMINIFERA IN A TEMPERATE MESOTIDAL INLET

Investigation of the living foraminifera along a transect in the inter tidal zone of the Hamble estuary in southern England has shown that th ere was a major change in standing crop between March and June. The hi gh March values are considered to be related to the abundant food supp ly from the spring benthic microfloral bloom whereas the low June valu es were postmicrofloral bloom. The dominant living species were Ammoni a beccarii, Elphidium excavatum and Haynesina germanica. The dead asse mblages drawn from the living ones show some difference interpreted to be due in part to the introduction of transported exotic species. Som e were introduced into the area through bedload transport from the adj acent shelf, some through transport from the nearby marshes and others were indigenous. Agglutinated assemblages remaining after the acid di gestion of the samples had a low similarity with the parent dead and l iving assemblages, but nevertheless retained useful palaeoecological i nformation.