PLANKTIC AND BENTHIC FORAMINIFERAL DISTRIBUTION PATTERNS AS A RESPONSE TO CHANGES IN SURFACE FERTILITY AND OCEAN CIRCULATION - A CASE-STUDYFROM THE LATE ALBIAN AMADEUS SEGMENT (CENTRAL ITALY)

A combined geochemical and micropalaeontological study of the late Alb ian 'Amadeus Segment' of the Aptian-Albian organic-rich Scisti a Fucoi di Formation central Italy shows that planktic foraminiferal assemblag es record changes in abundance and composition which are markedly rela ted to CaCO3 and Total Organic Carbon content of the sediments. The di stribution pattern of different genera seems to record changes in nutr ient supply and surface water temperature. Changes in palaeoceanograph ic regime are also reflected in abundance, composition and trophic str ucture of benthic foraminiferal assemblages as a response to variation s of oxygen content and organic Aux to the sea floor.