Foraminifera as Environmental Condition Indicators in Todos os Santos Bay (Bahia, Brazil)

Patrícia P B Eichler,Beatriz Beck Eichler,André Rösch Rodrigues,Alicia Kahn,Evelyn Da Rocha Mendes Pereira,Helenice Vital

doi:10.4236/oje.2015.57027

Abstract

The environmental quality of the marine area close to the Landulpho Alves Oil Refinery situated in Todosos Santos Bay (Bahia, Brazil) was assessed by statistical methods on foraminiferal assemblages, with species tolerant to low continental influence such as Ammonia tepida, Elphidium excavatum, Pseudononion atlanticum and Quinqueloculina spp., and to high organic matter such as Buliminella elegantissima and Bulimina marginata. We have found that Bolivina pulchella, Pseudononion atlanticum, Fursenkoina pontoni, Buliminella elegantissima, Bolivina striatula, Bulimina marginata, Quinqueloculina spp., Ammonia tepida, and Elphidium excavatum are opportunistic and tolerant to high levels of accumulated organic matter, and are associated to stations 6, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, and 25, located mainly in the southern, outermost part of the Bay.

Highlights

The problems resulting from the pollution of coastal areas near urban and industrial centers in Brazil, as well as in several coastal countries, have been worsening rapidly
Studies have found temperature and salinity values indicated the presence of Coastal Water (CW) in Todosos Santos Bay (TSB) by [32], which is characterized by a temperature higher than 20 ̊C and a salinity that varies approximately between 32.2 and 35.4 [33]
It can be visualized that Ammonia tepida presented highly expressive abundance with a notable decrease at station 06 (Figure 2)

Summary

Introduction

The problems resulting from the pollution of coastal areas near urban and industrial centers in Brazil, as well as in several coastal countries, have been worsening rapidly This has led to an ever-increasing number of environment protection entities, public health organizations and universities becoming involved in plans to assess and monitor pollutants in these areas. Studies have found temperature and salinity values indicated the presence of Coastal Water (CW) in TSB by [32], which is characterized by a temperature higher than 20 ̊C and a salinity that varies approximately between 32.2 and 35.4 [33]. It is a shallow area with depths varying from 0.6 to 10 m.

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion