Benthic Foraminiferal Assemblages in a Restricted Environment - An Example from the Mljet Lakes (Adriatic Sea, Croatia)

Abstract

Benthic foraminiferal assemblages from a peculiar restricted marine environment, the Mljet Lakes (Mljet Island, Adriatic Sea, Croatia) have been studied. These lakes are drowned karst dolines, which are connected with the Adriatic Sea through a narrow, shallow channel. Occasional stagnant conditions in the marine lakes cause hypoxic and anoxic conditions in the bottom waters. Such stressed conditions are reflected in oligospecific benthic foraminiferal assemblages with a Shannon-Wiener species diversity index (H) ranging from 0.8 to 1.0 and equitability index (E) ranging from 0.18 to 0.26, identified in samples from each marine lake. In the more dysoxic Malo Jezero, Haynesina depressula dominates an assemblage of 12 benthic foraminiferal species. In the less (and less frequently) hypoxic Veliko Jezero, we found an Asterigerinata mamilla a s s e m b l a g e with 18 foraminiferal species. A more diverse assemblage containing 55 different benthic foraminiferal species occupies an adjacent opensea station. Long-term salinity measurements indicate that H. depressula tolerates higher salinity than formerly presumed (up to 38 ‰), and is well adapted to stressed hypoxic conditions.