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Effect of the Red Sea brine-filled deeps (Shaban and Kebrit) on the composition and abundance of benthic and planktonic foraminifera

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Abstract

Composition and abundance of benthic and planktonic foraminifera in surface sediments of the brine-filled Shaban and Kebrit Deeps and some bathyal-slope environments in the northern Red Sea were examined for correlation with environmental conditions (e.g., bathymetry, sediment grain-size, organic matter, and carbonates) of the brine-filled deeps and normal Red Sea water. About 67 benthic foraminiferal species were recorded in these sediments. The lowest faunal density and diversity were recorded in the Shaban and Kebrit Deeps, whereas the highest density and diversity were recorded in the bathyal-slope sediments. Cluster analysis divided the benthic foraminiferal species into three major faunal assemblages. Buccella granulata–Gyroidinoides soldanii–Bolivina persiensis assemblage dominated the 650–1,300 m depth due to predominance of oligotrophic, highly oxygenated bottom waters. The Melonis novozealandicum–Spirophthalmidium acutimargo assemblage was recorded in the deep and bathyal-slope sediments indicating its tolerance for wider ranges of environmental conditions. The deeps were only dominated by the Brizalina spathulata assemblage indicating existence of un-totally anoxic conditions. The deeps yielded also very low planktonic foraminiferal density that may be attributed to occurrence of the seawater–brine interface which not only minimized the deposition of high buoyancy, large-test species (Globigerinoides sacculifer, Globigerinella siphonifera, and Orbulina universa), but also overestimated the small-test species (Globigerinoides ruber, Globoturborotalita rubescens, and Globigerinita glutinata) in the sediments. These findings should be taken into consideration when reconstructing paleoceanographic conditions of the Red Sea using core sediments from the brine-filled deeps.

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Acknowledgments

I would like thank the King Abdulaziz University for providing a good financial support to accomplish this research. My gratitude is given to Dr. Radwan Al-Farawati for allowing me to use the top multicore sediment samples. Very useful comments were made for the early draft of this paper by Prof. Frans Jorissen. I thank also the Editor (Dr. Al-Amri) and the anonymous reviewers for comments and rapid revision.

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  1. Ramadan H. Abu-Zied

    Present address: Geology Department, Faculty of Science, Mansoura University, 35516, El-Mansoura, Egypt

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  1. Marine Geology Department, Faculty of Marine Science, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80207, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia

    Ramadan H. Abu-Zied

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Correspondence to Ramadan H. Abu-Zied.

Appendices

Appendix 1

Table 1 Coordinates of sample sites and census data of both benthic and planktonic foraminifera
Full size table

Appendix 2

All taxa cited in this paper are listed alphabetically with original references and displayed in Figs. 4 and 6

Benthic foraminifera species:

  • Adercotryma glomerata (Brady) = Lituola glomerata Brady, 1878, p. 433, pl. 20, Figs. 1a–c.

  • Bolivina persiensis Lutze = B. persiensis Lutze, 1974, p. 25, pl. 5, Figs. 86–89, pl. 6, Fig. 98.

  • Brizalina earlandi (Parr) = B. earlandi Parr, 1950, pl. 12, Fig. 16a–c.

  • Brizalina spathulata (Williamson) = Textularia variabilis var. spathulata Williamson, 1858, p. 76, pl. 6, Figs. 164–165.

  • Brizalina subspathulata (Boomgart) = B. subspathulata Boomgart, 1949, pl. 12, Fig. 4.

  • Buccella granulata (Di Napoli Alliata) = Eponides frigidus granulatus Di Napoli Alliata, 1952, p. 103, 107, pl. 5, Fig. 3.

  • Bulimina marginata d’Orbigny = B. marginata d’Orbigny, 1926, p. 269, pl. 12, Figs. 10–12.

  • Cassidelina spinescens (Cushman) = Bolivina spinescens Cushman, 1911, p. 46, Fig. 76.

  • Cibicides mabahethi Said = Cibicides mabahethi Said, 1949, p. 42, pl.4, Fig. 20

  • Discorbinella bertheloti (d’Orbigny) = Rosalina bertheloti d’Orbigny, 1839, p. 135, pl. 1, Figs. 28–30.

  • Discorbinella rhodiensis (Terquem) = Truncatulina rhodiensis Terquem, 1878, p. 21, pl. 1, Fig. 26.

  • Eggerella australis Collins = E. australis Collins, 1958, p. 356, pl. 2, Figs. 1a–b.

  • Globocassidulina subglobosa (Brady) = Cassidulina subglobosa Brady, 1884, p. 430, pl. 54, Figs. 17a–c.

  • Glomospira charoides (Jones and Parker) = Trochammina squamata var. charoides Jones and Parker, 1860, p. 304.

  • Gyroidinoides soldanii (d’Orbigny) = Gyroidina soldanii d’Orbigny, 1826, p. 278, no. 5.

  • Haplophragmoides bradyi (Robertson) = Trochammina bradyi Robertson, 1891, p. 388.

  • Islandiella californica (Cushman and Hughes) = Cassidulina californica Cushman and Hughes, 1925, p. 5, pl. 2, Fig. 1.

  • Islandiella helenae Feyling-Hanssen and Buzas = I. helenae Feyling-Hanssen and Buzas, 1976, p. 155, text-Figs. 1–4.

  • Melonis novozealandicum (Cushman and Edwards) = Astrononion novozealandicum Cushman and Edwards, 1937, p. 35, pl. 3, Figs. 18a–b. It is a synonym of Melonis paraffinis Yassini and Jones, 1995, p. 171, Figs. 940, 944–945.

  • Miliolinella irregularis (d’Orbigny) = Biloculina irregularis d’Orbigny, 1839, p. 67, pl. 8, Figs. 20, 21.

  • Neoconorbina marginata Hofker = N. marginata Hofker, 1951, p. 435, Figs. 298–299.

  • Neouvigerina ampullacea (Brady) = Uvigerina asperula Czjzek var. ampullacea Brady, 1884, p. 579, pl. 75, Figs. 10–11.

  • Neouvigerina porrecta (Brady) = Uvigerina porrecta Brady, 1879, p. 274, pl. 8, Figs. 15–16.

  • Pseudoeponides falsobeccarii Rouvillois = P. falsobeccarii Rouvillois, 1974, p. 4, pl. 1, Figs. 1–12.

Rosalinid. It is a group of many unidentified species.

  • Spirophthalmidium acutimargo (Brady) = S. acutimargo Brady, 1884, p. 154, pl. 10, Figs. 12–15.

  • Textularia cushmani Said = T. cushmani Said, 1949, p. 7, pl. 1, Fig. 13.

  • Triloculina trigonula (Lamarck) = Miliolites trigonula Lamarck, 1804, p. 351.

  • Trochammina pacifica Cushman = T. pacifica Cushman, 1925, p. 39, pl. 6, Fig. 3.

Planktonic foraminifera species:

  • Gallitellia vivans (Cushman) = Guembelitria vivans Cushman, 1934, p. 105, pl. 13, Figs. 9–10.

  • Globigerinella calida (Parker) = G. calida Parker, 1962, p. 221, pl. 1, Figs. 9–13, 15.

  • Globigerinella siphonifera (d’Orbigny) = G. siphonifera d’Orbigny, 1839, p. 183, pl. 4, Figs. 15–18.

  • Globigerinita glutinata (Egger) = G. glutinata Egger, 1893, p. 371, pl. 13, Figs. 19–21.

  • Globigerinoides elongatus (d’Orbigny) = Globigerina elongata d’Orbigny, 1826, p. 277, list no. 4.

  • Globigerinoides ruber (d’Orbigny) = Globigerina rubra d’Orbigny, 1839, p. 82, pl. 4, Figs. 12–14.

  • Globigerinoides sacculifer (Brady, 1877) = Globigerina sacculifera Brady, 1877, p. 535.

  • Globorotalia scitula (Brady) = Pulvinulina scitula Brady, 1882, p. 716–717.

  • Globoturborotalita rubescens (Hofker) = Globigerina rubescens Hofker, 1956, p. 234, pl. 35, Figs. 18–21.

  • Globoturborotalita tenella (Parker) = Globigerinoides tenellus Parker, 1958, pl. 6, Figs. 7–11.

  • Orbulina universa d’Orbigny = Orbulina universa d’Orbigny, 1839, p. 3, pl. 1, Fig. 1.

  • Turborotalia clarkei (Rögl and Bolli) = Globigerina clarkei Rögl and Bolli, 1973, p. 563, pl. 4, Figs. 13–15.

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Abu-Zied, R.H. Effect of the Red Sea brine-filled deeps (Shaban and Kebrit) on the composition and abundance of benthic and planktonic foraminifera. Arab J Geosci 6, 3809–3826 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-012-0641-3

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