Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Ecology of Quaternary benthic foraminiferal assemblages on the Amazon shelf, northern Brazil

  • Published:
Geo-Marine Letters Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The distribution of benthic foraminiferal microfauna recovered from two offshore transects on the Amazon shelf was studied. Eight box-core samples were collected along the inner, middle, and outer parts of the continental shelf. Each box-core sample was divided into 10 subsamples, of 1- to 5-cm intervals, in order to investigate the foraminiferal microhabitat preferences. The variations of salinity, oxygen, lithology, and sediment accumulation rates were used to evaluate ecological patterns. Four benthic foraminiferal assemblages identified in the study area characterize a record of oceanographic changes from early Holocene to the present. An abundant assemblage, with opportunistic species, was found near the river mouth. Two assemblages were identified northwest of the river mouth, with dominant epifaunal and infaunal species, respectively. A relict assemblage was encountered northwest of the river mouth.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aller RC, Mackin JE, and Cox RT Jr (1986) Diagenesis of Fe and S in Amazon inner shelf muds: Apparent dominance of Fe reduction and implications for the genesis of ironstones. Continental Shelf Research 6:263–269

    Google Scholar 

  • Barnes RSK and Hughes RN (1988) An Introduction to Marine Ecology, 2nd ed. London: Blackwell Scientific. 351 pp

    Google Scholar 

  • Beurlen G and Hiltermann H (1983) As biocenoses do mangue de Guaratiba, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. Boletim Técnico da Petrobrás 26(4):259–267

    Google Scholar 

  • Boltovskoy E and Totah V (1985) Diversity, similarity and dominance in benthic foraminiferal fauna along one transect of the Argentine shelf. Revue de Micropaleontologie 28(1):23–31

    Google Scholar 

  • Carvalho IS and Fernandes ACS (1991) Aspectos neoicnológicos dos sedimentos da plataforma do Amazonas. Anuário do Instituto de Geociências, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, 14:11–36

    Google Scholar 

  • Corliss BH (1985) Microhabitats of benthic Foraminifera within deep-sea sediments. Nature 314(6010):435–438

    Google Scholar 

  • Corliss BH and Fois E (1990) Morphotype analysis of deep-sea benthic foraminifera from the northwest Gulf of Mexico. Palaios 5:589–605

    Google Scholar 

  • Douglas RG, Liestman J, Walch C, Blake G, and Cotton ML (1980) The transition from live to sediment assemblage in benthic foraminifera from the southern California Borderland. Pacific Coast Paleogeography Symposium 4:257–280

    Google Scholar 

  • Koutsoukos EAM, Mello ML, and Azambuja NC (1991) Micropalaeontological and geochemical evidence of mid-Cretaceous dysoxic-anoxic palaeoenvironments in the Sergipe Basin northeastern Brazil. In: Tyson RV and Pearson TH (Eds.), Modern and Ancient Continental Shelf Anoxia. Geological Society of London Special Publication 58:427–447

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuehl SA, DeMaster DJ, and Nittrouer CA (1986) Nature of sediment accumulation on the Amazon continental shelf. Continental Shelf Research 6(1/2):209–225

    Google Scholar 

  • Langer M, Hottinger L, and Huber B (1989) Functional morphology in low diverse benthic foraminiferal assemblages from tidal flats of the North Sea. Senckenbergiana maritima 20(3/4):81–99

    Google Scholar 

  • Murray JW (1973) Distribution and Ecology of Living Benthic Foraminiferids. New York: Crane, Russak & Co. 272 pp

    Google Scholar 

  • Murray JW (1991) Ecology and Paleoecology of Benthic Foraminifera. Bath: Longman Scientific & Technical. 397 pp

    Google Scholar 

  • Nittrouer CA, De Master DJ, Figueiredo AG, and Rine JM (1991) AmasSeds: An interdisciplinary investigation of a complex coastal environment. Oceanography April:3–7

    Google Scholar 

  • Santos MEM (1972) Paleogeografia do Quaternário superior na plataforma continental norte brasileira. Congresso Brasileiro de Geologia 26, Anais 2:267–288

    Google Scholar 

  • Van der Zwaan GJ and Jorissen FJ (1991) Biofacial patterns in river-induced shelf anoxia. In: Tyson RV and Pearson TH (Eds.), Modern and Ancient Continental Shelf Anoxia. Geological Society of London Special Publication 58:65–82

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departmento de Geologia, Instituto de Geociências, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Ilha do Fundão, 21949-900, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

    Claudia Gutterres Vilela

Authors
  1. Claudia Gutterres Vilela
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Vilela, C.G. Ecology of Quaternary benthic foraminiferal assemblages on the Amazon shelf, northern Brazil. Geo-Marine Letters 15, 199–203 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01204464

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01204464

Keywords

Search

Navigation