Benthic foraminifer Ammonia beccarii as a proxy for paleoproductivity changes from West coast of India

Abstract

We examined three hundred sixty-five (365) sediment subsamples for benthic foraminifera from beach cores sediment in the west coast of India. The study on the recent benthic foraminiferal faunal record, reveals the paleoecological preferences. A total of 38 species belonging to 22 genera were identified from the study. For benthic foraminiferal faunal study, dry samples were sieved over 125 μm-size sieve and split into suitable aliquots to obtain ~250 specimens of benthic foraminiferal species identified and counted. Ammonia beccarii was the most prevalent species found in all subsamples. The high productivity species of Ammonia beccarii can be found in sediments from Puthenthoodu beach ~75 to 60cm and 10 to 5cm depth, from Chellanam beach sediments 100 to 70cm and 30 to 5cm depth, from Azheekal beach sediments around 90 to 70cm and 18 to 5cm depth, 100 to 80cm and 20 to 5cm depth in Anthakaranazhi beach sediments, an indicates of shallow-marine environment. The species of Ammonia beccarii were utilized for biostratigraphy for several years and have also been confirmed very constructive in paleoceanographic and paleoclimatological reconstruction.