FORAMINIFERAL RECORD OF THE HOLOCENE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MARINE-ENVIRONMENT IN THE SOUTHERN NORTH-SEA

Analyses of the benthic foraminifera encountered in a piston core and box core collected from the Frisian Front area in the southern North S ea (53-degrees 42'N, 4-degrees 30'E) revealed that subtidal conditions began at approximately 6240 B.P. No large scale changes were observed in the foraminiferal compositions since then, but distinct variation in their densities occurred. Lateral transport from the south is effec tive, as implied by the presence of reworked Cretaceous foraminifera; there is very little long-term Recent sediment accumulation in this ar ea. Fluctuation in the Holocene foraminiferal densities reflects both the variation in local production of tests and the supply of tests fro m the south.