Tg. Haunold et al., BENTHIC FORAMINIFERAL ASSOCIATIONS IN THE NORTHERN BAY OF SAFAGA, RED-SEA, EGYPT, Marine micropaleontology, 29(3-4), 1997, pp. 185-210
In the shallow-water area (0-70 m) of the Northern Bay of Safaga, 73 s
urface samples were studied with respect to total foraminiferal fauna.
The samples cover a great variety of shallow-water environments and y
ielded 239 foraminiferal taxa. Based on q-mode cluster analysis, and t
ested by canonical discriminant analysis, the samples are grouped into
13 foraminiferal associations, each characterized by several species:
(1) Quinqueloculina mosharrafai-Borelis schlumbergeri-Brizalina simps
one Ass.,(2) Heterostegina depressa-Amphistegina lessonii/bicirculata
Asss., (3) Cibicidids-Rosalina-Amphistegina lobifera-Pseudoschlumberge
rina ovata Ass., (4) Peneroplisplanatus Ass., (5) Peneroplis platus-va
ridentella neostriatula Ass., (6) Peneroplis planatus-Coscinospira hem
prichii-Varidentella neostriatula Ass., (7) Quinqueloculina spp. Ass.,
(8) Hauerina diversa-Sorites orbiculus Ass., (9) Verneuilina sp.-Arti
culina pacifica-Reussella simplex Ass., (10) Textularia agglutinans/ru
gulosa-Volivina variabilis Ass., (11) Textularia agglutinana-Challenge
rella brady-Elphidium jenseni/simplex Ass., (12) Operculina ammonides-
Adelosina laevigata-Brizalina striatulas/subspathulata Ass., (13) Boli
vina variabilis-Miliolinella-Nonion fabum-Elphidium simplex Ass. The c
haracteristic forms of each association are linked to specific environ
mental parameters and modes of life. As long as taxonomic uniformitari
anism can be applied, similar associations with comparable ecological
demands may also be detected in the fossil record. For comparisons wit
h taxonomically different material the 13 associations are summarized
into 4 categories each reflecting a specific type of substrate. In the
fossil record these categories may be recognized by general morpholog
ical characteristics of the foraminiferal tests and by sedimentologica
l data. The 4 substrate types are: hardground, sand (with or without s
eagrass and/or corals), firmground, and soft bottom.