BENTHIC FORAMINIFERAL ASSOCIATIONS IN THE NORTHERN BAY OF SAFAGA, RED-SEA, EGYPT

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.